What may have appeared as a spontaneous demonstration outside MP Cathy McLeod's office Thursday was part of a nationwide protest against Bill C-10, the Tories' omnibus anti-crime legislation.

About 20 people waved placards and shouted slogans at the corner of Tenth Avenue and Battle Street at mid-day as passing motorists blasted their horns in support.

They were answering a rallying cry from Leadnow.ca, an advocacy group lobbying against the controversial bill, said Jaret Nield, one of the protesters.

The issue was too important not to have taken time from work to raise objections, he said.

"There are so many red flags around this bill."

The proposed legislation — virtually certain to become law in the majority parliament — is taking Canada down the wrong path on crime, punishment and increased costs, a path tried and rejected by U.S. jurisdictions, Nield said.

"There's no transparency involved," he said. "They're pushing this through all together … there's no financial responsibility. They're not answering questions from the provinces. My question is, what is the government's real agenda here?"

Ceara Caton, a TRU student who works with convicted criminals at a community healing lodge, said she can see first-hand that community-based programs work. Building more prisons is not the answer.

"I've seen them in action," she said. They are hindered by a lack of funding and space, Caton added.

"I think Bill C-10 is a pernicious piece of legislation designed to appease a particular interest group within the Conservative party," said John Kidder, who ran for the Liberals in Okanagan-Coquihalla in the spring election.

Many inmates come from disadvantaged circumstances, with Aboriginals and the mentally ill representing a disproportionately high percentage. The bill does nothing to address their plight, Kidder said.

"We also see that this is the government that fell through contempt of parliament on this particular piece of legislation," he added. "This is a profound disrespect for democracy. It's not responsible government."

A group called Reclaim Our Democratic Canada was also behind the protest. Leadnow instructed protesters to don cowboy hats signifying that U.S. states such as Texas have tried but rejected putting more people in prison with longer sentences.

McLeod, who has consistently stood behind the bill, was in Ottawa Thursday with Parliament still in session. The protest didn't fall on deaf ears, though. Passing motorists consistently honked in support.