中国驻温哥华领事馆外的人行道上，自2001年起，竖立起一面抗议围墙和一座木头小屋，法轮功全年每周七日，每日24小时在此驻派成员进行静坐抗议，而这些建筑违反了温哥华市“禁止在城市公共道路上竖立建筑物”的规章制度。2006年，温哥华市市长下令对此进行拆除，但一直未果。11月3日，一个为期7天的听证会将最终决定是否拆除。加拿大通讯社（The Canadian Press）及主流媒体如《温哥华太阳报》（Vancouver Sun）等均对此事件表示关注。

　　11月3日，一个为期7天的听证会开始举行，将决定法轮功位于中国驻温哥华领事馆外抗议标识的命运。

　　星期一（11月3日），温哥华市政府律师Tom Zworski告诉法官，如果温哥华市政府无法管制法轮功竖立在中国使领馆外的抗议标志的话，那么整个城市街道上的所有建筑都将无法进行管理。Zworski对卑诗省（B.C.）最高法院大法官Sunni Stromberg-Stein说：“如果受访者（的要求）是正确的，那么市政府在管制方面将会变得无力。”

　　据了解，市政府曾多次会见当地法轮功成员代表，试图寻找折衷方案，但法轮功始终没有拆除位于领事馆外的20米长的胶合板标识和那间小屋。而这些建筑违反了城市规章制度，即禁止在城市公共所有物上竖立建筑物。

　　Zworski说：“这并不是件需要市政府采取严厉措施的事，所以市政府一直试图达成使双方都满意的折衷方案。请愿书是关于这些违法建筑的，而不是抗议或者标识。温哥华市并非在试图限制抗议权利或者言论自由。”

　　Zworski同时认为：“市政府有职责管理城市街道空间。为了公众的整体利益，也必须对此进行管理。”

　　抗议标识最初于2001年7月竖立在格兰佛（Granville）3380号，2006年，温哥华市长山姆·苏利文（Sam Sullivan）首次下令拆除这些建筑，认为这些建筑的建立未经批准，而且侵占了城市人行道。

　　Zworski说：“接到对这些建筑的投诉后，市政府希望颁布一项禁令拆除这些每天24小时占据在这里的标识和抗议小屋。” 

　　现在，市政府正在寻求法庭禁令，迫使抗议者拆除这些建筑。

Falun Gong case a test of city's power: lawyer

If Falun Gong protest signs outside the Chinese consulate can't be regulated by the City of Vancouver, then no structures on city streets can be regulated, the city's lawyer told a judge Monday.

"If the respondents are correct, the city is powerless to regulate," lawyer Tom Zworski told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein.

Zworski said the city has met with local Falun Gong representatives to seek a compromise, but the 20-metre-long plywood signs and a hut placed on city property outside the consulate have not been removed.

"This is not a case of the city using its powers in some draconian way," Zworski said. "The city attempted to reach a compromise to the satisfaction of everyone."

Vancouver is not trying to limit the right to protest or freedom of expression, he said.

"What this petition is about is the structures, not the protests or the signs."

The protest signs were erected in July 2001 at 3380 Granville. Mayor Sam Sullivan first ordered the structure -- a plywood fence bearing the signs, and a small plywood shelter -- to be dismantled in 2006, saying it was built without permission and encroaches on the city sidewalk.

The city wants an injunction to remove the signs and protest hut, which is occupied 24 hours a day, after receiving complaints about the structures, Zworski said.

City officials have met several times with Falun Gong supporters to discuss the issue, he said.

But local Falun Gong spokeswoman Sue Zhang, a respondents in the city's legal action, said Falun Gong supporters thought they'd reached an acceptable compromise.

"We got a phone call from the city thanking us for our cooperation," Zhang said outside court, adding that city officials never stressed the need for permission.