Can political dissent be classified as harassment? One Canadian city says yes.

A small city on the outskirts of Toronto has become an unlikely front line in the debate over free speech and government power — a debate increasingly familiar to Americans as well.

Pickering Councillor Lisa Robinson, one of Canada’s most controversial municipal politicians, is seeking the mayor’s office even as she faces fresh restrictions on her participation in council proceedings and yet another clash with the city’s integrity commissioner.

‘And it’s kind of like a group-think mentality over there.’

Robinson has become a cause célèbre among conservative and libertarian activists after repeated clashes over free speech, Pride displays, government transparency, and municipal governance. Her critics say she has harassed city employees and spread misinformation; her supporters say she is being punished for asking uncomfortable questions and refusing to