Large coalition of far-right, anti-Muslim groups in Ottawa this weekend

They are holding a protest against the UN agreement on migration, the newest cause célèbre of the far-right

December 4, 2018

Canadian Anti-Hate Network

Top left: III%ers; top right: La Meute; bottom left: Northern Guard; centre: Darren Jones, former Saskatchewan VP for the Northern Guard posing in front of Nazi flags; bottom right: the Soldiers of Odin

On December 8th, a collection of far-right groups are going to hold a rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to protest against the United Nation Global Compact for Migration. The compact, which aims to promote human rights and make conditions safer for migrants, is not legally binding. However, the far-right have labeled it, among other things, a ‘suicide pact’, and have made it their cause célèbre of the past few weeks.

A petition against the Compact sponsored by Maxime Bernier and shared by far-right and alt-right neo-Nazi figures has garnered nearly 35,000 signatures, led by Ontario which has contributed 11,000.

On November 24th, Faith Goldy, a self-proclaimed propagandist for the alt-right neo-Nazi movement, held a similar, but only 40-strong, rally in Toronto. They were counter-demonstrated by an equally large crowd of anti-racist and anti-fascist demonstrators who were loud enough to ruin Goldy and her supporters’ livestream broadcasts.

Two different event pages are promoting the far-right rally on December 8th - one in English hosted by the Canadian Coalition of Concerned Citizens, and one in French hosted by representatives of several far-right and anti-Muslim groups.

One of the organizers claims to have an event permit, which would require approval by the Committee for the use of Parliament Hill.

According to the French Facebook event page, fifteen far-right groups are involved and have convened a ‘round table’ including a leader from each group. While La Meute says they aren’t organizing the event, they are arranging for transportation and sending a ‘security team’. The rally plans to include groups such as Storm Alliance, Northern Guard, the Canadian Coalition of Concerned Citizens, Le Meute, “Patriote” (likely Patriotes du Québec) and the III%ers.

All of the above groups are a regular feature of anti-Muslim demonstrations. While the anti-Muslim movement and its associated groups claim to only be critical of Islam, in both their public, but especially their private, online spaces, they have been exposed as overtly racist. Many celebrate or promote violence towards Muslims. Some, like the III%ers, are proudly militant. The III%ers are an armed militia-style group that have stockpiled weapons, conducted paramilitary training, and staked out mosques. Several groups also have ties to neo-Nazism, like the Northern Guard, an anti-Muslim group with a biker aesthetic.

Last week La Meute denied any association with Patriotes du Québec following revelations that a member of ‘Patriote’, who may also be a member of La Meute, was discussing creating “a fake terrorist attempt” to “scare the hell out of Quebecers,” according to an article in the Montreal Gazette.

La Meute spokesperson Slyvain Bouillette tells the Canadian Anti-Hate Network that several groups use the 'patriote' name and claims that, despite there being a ‘round table’ of leaders organizing together, that doesn’t constitute an endorsement of any other group.

Anti-fascist and anti-racist activists in Ottawa are planning a counter-demonstration on December 8th.

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network would like to thank a contributor from Ottawa for their help in researching and authoring this article.

July 14 to 15, the Canadian Combat Coalition and other far-right groups held a ‘Canadians for Canada’ rally in Ottawa which was also billed as a ‘Unite the Right’ rally.

The rally touched off controversy in the far-right ecosystem over the participation of neo-Nazi Kevin Goudreau, who sports a large swastika tattoo on his chest.

Dan Dubois, the leader of the Canadian Combat Coalition (C3), claimed the rally would include groups like Storm Alliance, Soldiers of Odin, Sons of Odin, the Canadian Jewish Defence League, the III%ers, Northern Guard and La Meute.

Before the rally, a member of the anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant group La Meute posted in a closed Facebook group that they would be furious if any La Meute members attended, saying “These are neo-nazis, regardless of what they try to say, and we will have NONE of it.”

The Jewish Defence League also did not attend.

Responding to news that La Meute wasn’t coming, Dubois told the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, “It's a total mystery to me why La Meute wouldn't want to associate with us our beliefs are virtually identical.” He went on to post that C3 doesn't endorse "any racist or hate ideologies."

That evening, Dubois did a video interview with Kevin Goudreau to address allegations that Goudreau is a neo-Nazi and is associated with C3. In the video, Dubois accuses groups on the right of “spreading lies and deceit.” Goudreau claims that he’s not a Nazi, but an ethno-nationalist.

Anti-Racist Canada, part of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network team, has documented Goudreau’s extensive antisemitism and use of neo-Nazi signalers like 14/88 (referring to the 14 words and 88 standing for ‘Heil Hitler’).

“My problem is with people that come here to take advantage of what we have,” Goudreau says in the video with Dubois. He says they aren't real asylum seekers or refugees. “They are just here to rape us. Islamification of Canada, bringing their Sharia law here and when giving these people that are using a con special privileges and rights we don’t have.”

Dubois says Goudreau isn’t a member of C3. “What this is about is that Kevin doesn’t like this government,” says Dubois, “and C3 and Dan Dubois don’t like [this government] so mine enemy is my ally till we get this fight done.”

Only 80-100 people showed up on Saturday and were cordoned off from the public on Parliament Hill. Groups including C3, Northern Guard, Storm Alliance, and the Canadian Nationalist Party attended. 

As originally reported by Anti-Racist Canada, Northern Guard has included leaders and members with demonstrated ties to white supremacy and neo-Nazism.

Far-right groups use rallies and events to network in real life and build capacity. This event continues a pattern of far-right groups claiming they aren’t racist while standing shoulder to shoulder with groups and individuals that are demonstrably hateful.

More speakers were scheduled for Sunday, but pictures from the event show perhaps as few as 40 people attended. 

Some members of the far-right rally made their way over to a nearby #sexedsaveslives demonstration, which was protesting against the government's decision to roll back Ontario's sex ed curriculum. According to a participant, four or five people came over and “yelled some things/questions at the crowd and pointed their cameras at people.”

In an interview, Dubois told the Ottawa Citizen they expected 1,000 people and are disappointed with the turnout. 

"For the fake Groups that didn't attend Shame on you," Dubois writes in a post on Monday. "Putting personal feelings ahead of your country just exposed you as fake Patriots !"

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network is concerned about demonstrations being held by far-right groups on Parliament Hill in Ottawa this weekend, July 14-15, 2018.

The demonstrations, being promoted as a ‘Canadians for Canada’ rally and a ‘Unite the Right’ rally are being organized by the Canadian Combat Coalition (C3). The leader of C3 claims it will include groups like Storm Alliance, Soldiers of Odin, Sons of Odin, the Canadian Jewish Defence League, the III%ers, and Northern Guard.

Members of La Meute, Storm Alliance, and other groups at a previous demonstration on Parliament Hill.

As originally reported by Anti-Racist Canada, part of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network team, the Soldiers of Odin and Northern Guard have leaders and members with demonstrated ties to white supremacy and neo-Nazism.

Members of the Canadian Jewish Defence League have been charged with a hate crime in the United States for their role in the beating of a Palestinian professor at the AIPAC conference in 2017.

The III%ers are an anti-Muslim ‘militia’ group which is stockpiling weapons, conducting paramilitary training and staking out mosques. In the United States, members of a III% militia group plotted to blow up an apartment full of Muslim immigrants. The Canadian leader, Beau Welling, has posted “The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim,” on Facebook.

Speakers include Kevin J Johnston, a Youtuber from Mississauga who is currently charged under S 319 of the Criminal Code for spreading hate propaganda. His videos often target Muslims and LGBTQ+ persons.

Far-right groups use rallies and events to network in real life and build capacity. This event continues a pattern of far-right groups claiming they aren’t racist while standing shoulder to shoulder with groups that are overtly and demonstrably hateful.

The event will run on both Saturday and Sunday. One of the organizers of a connected ‘Free Tommy Robinson’ event has said he “really wants to get in mainstream media’s face” and they may march on the nearby CTV office on Sunday. According to Hope Not Hate, Robinson is a "Far-right Islamophobic Extremist." He has been put in jail for breaking contempt of court laws in the UK.

Update 2018-07-13: Members of La Meute tell the Canadian Anti-Hate Network that they won't be attending the C3 rally. "We don't want to be associated with the mess of Saturday," says Sébastien Chabot, a member of La Meute. 

The other host behind Canada's largest neo-Nazi podcast is a former cosplayer from Ottawa. He's now 31 and was spreading serious hate to a large audience before the Canadian Anti-Hate Network/VICE investigation shut them down.

Full story: https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/zm8ky4/this-is-the-man-who-ran-canadas-biggest-neo-nazi-podcast