Most civil societies recognize that freedom of speech is not absolute ie. there are limitations. One often cited is that one does not have the freedom to yell fire in a crowded building. In Canada it is now illegal to publicly incite hatred against people based on their colour, race, religion, ethnic origin, and sexual orientation. However, under section 319 on hate speech, a person cannot be convicted of hate speech "if the person can establish that the statements made are true.