Major Media White Washes Yellow Vests Movement and Convoy to Ottawa: Ignores Racism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Homophobia, and Misogyny Endemic to Reactionary Movement

On Tuesday last week, "The National" on CBC uncritically profiled the Yellow Vests movement and provided a forum for overt hate groups such as the former Nouns of Odin now going by the name the Clann. There was little to no mention of the racism rife within the movement and no mention of the violent threats directed towards political figures on the left (or at least those the reactionaries consider to be on the left). As bad as this coverage was, news papers including the "Calgary Herald" and "Toronto Star" provided even worse coverage.

Story: Yesterday CBC The National aired a segment misrepresenting the Yellow Vests Canada movement and it makes no mention of the extent of hate & death threats which characterize the Canada movement. Factcheck: https://t.co/BtB9L6k7m8 #cdnpoli h/t @VestsCanada @ARCCollective

— Canadian Anti-Hate Network (@antihateca) February 14, 2019

Reporting on hate movements and hate groups that misrepresent themselves is difficult. It requires deep research/observation of less public-facing spaces, and/or building on the investigative work of orgs (happy to help) like @VestsCanada @ARCCollective. That didn't happen here.

— Canadian Anti-Hate Network (@antihateca) February 14, 2019

While we have concerns about how The National reported on the Yellow Vests Canada mvmt convoy, both the Calgary Herald and Star have published stories with zero reference to the overt racism & death threats which have come to characterize Yellow Vests Canada. Do better. #cdnpoli

— Canadian Anti-Hate Network (@antihateca) February 14, 2019

Visit the Yellow Vests Canada Facebook page. It's self-evident their main concern isn't oil and gas, but Muslims, Trudeau, leftists and conspiracies. For the overt racism, death threats, and conspiracy theories about how the Fort Mac fire was done by Muslims, see @VestsCanada.

— Canadian Anti-Hate Network (@antihateca) February 14, 2019

FYI @TorontoStar @calgaryherald @CBCTheNational @goldsbie @JesseBrown @CANADALAND.

Here are the articles in question: https://t.co/17Lus3A7HKhttps://t.co/aD0Lm7TL0u

Also see: https://t.co/7pMgfj1wibhttps://t.co/BtB9L6k7m8

— Canadian Anti-Hate Network (@antihateca) February 14, 2019

Several outlets have reported on the Yellow Vests Canada convoy without making reference to the overt racism and death threats which have come to characterize the movement. In response, we sent a press release with the facts to every newsroom in Canada. We hope it helps. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/z0RKK1EVla

— Canadian Anti-Hate Network (@antihateca) February 15, 2019

I rarely ascribe intentions to bad reporting. Few news orgs set-out to mislead the public. But a CBC radio report just described a convoy of trucks heading to Ottawa as a movement "with one simple message..Pipelines". Not 1 mention of #YellowVestsCanada or anti-immigrant activism

— Jesse Brown (@JesseBrown) February 15, 2019

It was so bad, even Faith Goldy was angry, though I somehow suspect she was angry for different reasons:

The articles however provided cover for right-wing politicians to be able to support the event since they could now claim, citing these news sources, that the Yellow Vest sponsored convoy to Ottawa is solely about oil pipe lines despite what they themselves know to be true:

Jason Kenney and Doug Ford just endorsed the far-right, anti-immigrant United We Roll/Yellow Vests Convoy https://t.co/dCgOijoUr0 #cdnpoli #abpoli #onpoli

— North99 (@wearenorth99) February 17, 2019

ARC and especially Yellow Vests Canada Exposed and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network have been exposing the racism and violent rhetoric behind the reactionary Yellow Vests movement in Canada for more than two months. We've done what the major media hasn't done; critically examine the ideology underlying this movement and bring to light the people behind it. Those include people like this guy:

Dave Selvers is the organizer for the Yellow Vest Convoy in Sault Ste. Marie:

In a "Sault This Week" article from early January, members of the local Yellow Vest group which included Selvers stated:

George Brown, an active member of the Yellow Vests wants to make clear that he and fellow Yellow Vests are not against immigration. 

It just needs to be “done legally and fulfil needs for Canadians”, to help Canada’s homeless and destitute, Canada’s veterans and first nations, Brown said. 

Yellow Vesters are not against helping those who must flee their countries because of violence and corruption, he added. 

“Those in the middle east both Christian and Muslim need to be looked after”.

Given his association with the paranoid M103 protests though, one might pause to question Selvers' own (as well as the movement in general) commitment to protecting refugees and supporting immigration:

In fact the Canadian Anti-Hate Network has reported that this Yellow Vest Convoy supporter and local organizer has a long history of posting racist, Islamophobic, and misogynistic comments on social media:

NEW: Sault Ste. Marie Yellow Vests organizer Dave Selvers calls immigration minister @HonAhmedHussen an “ugly n***** . . . responsible for flooding Canada with useless n***** muslim terrorists.” #YellowVestsCanada convoy to arrive there imminently #cdnpoli https://t.co/ZOV2VN8i8l pic.twitter.com/gZ0r1OTnb0

— Canadian Anti-Hate Network (@antihateca) February 17, 2019

My own dive into his Facebook profile found a gun-obsessed, conspiracy-minded individual who revels in his hatred of Muslims and "non-white" Canadians and who has called for the execution of Canadian politicians:

ID Canada Facebook Page Deleted Resulting in Much Crying and Gnashing of Teeth

The big event this weekend is of course the reactionary Yellow Vests convoy to Ottawa which Yellow Vests Canada Exposed and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network have been doing a fantastic job of covering. I'll probably be addressing the event some time later this weekend as well sourcing their very through work. In the meantime, there's been some significant news on the ID Canada front.

Again if you aren't following either, you really should be.

ID Canada of course is the identitarian (read: white nationalist) group that was originally called Generation Identity Canada before rebranding. In a recent article I discussed the very cozy relationship that ID Canada had with some current and past personalities associated with Ezra Levant's Rebel Media. I also very briefly mentioned a Generation Identity Canada Facebook page that had been removed by Facebook some years ago before I had an opportunity to see it for myself.

Well, looks like history has repeated itself, but in a more significant way:

Not only was the Facebook group permanently banned, but so were the leaders' own profiles.

Of course, they are now erroneously crying "censorship!" despite not actually being censored because being banned for violating the terms and services of your user agreement (or a private company not wishing to be associated with your rather noxious brand) isn't actually censorship. At all.

And while they were a bit smug about the efforts of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network's efforts to combat their flyering campaigns, they now are whining about being picked on:

Funny. I thought tears were salty. Turns out they can be quite sweet.

In a move that won't surprise anyone, white nationalist Faith Goldy also tweeted about the banning in support of her fellow travelers:

The video in which she promotes the hate group, alludes to the banning of the group on Facebook as part of a Trudeau conspiracy, advocates the government taking over a private company for the benefit of the far-right, and attacks the Canadian Anti-Hate Network as "the enemy" which says a lot about the good work the Canadian Anti-Hate Network is doing:

On that note, if anyone would like to donate to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network and piss off white nationalist Faith Goldy even more, please click on this link.

Now the removal of ID Canada and their leadership for Facebook might not seem like a big deal, but it is one less avenue they now have to promote themselves and their toxic views. De-platforming works. Ask Laura Loomer or Milo Yiannopoulos for example.... I mean if you can find them between they occasional desperate publicity stunt to get peoples' attention because they have few other avenues to do so.

Sure.

"Hundreds."

More Threats From Yellow Vesters. More History of Criminal Conduct

So, remember that time when it was reported that a reactionary Yellow Vest Supporter had been arrested for pointing a gun at a police officer and then was found to have an arsenal of weapons, some of which were illegal?

Well.... not so funny story. Seems another guy who supports the reactionary Yellow Vesters had a very similar history and is currently making threats online:

EXCLUSIVE: Yellow Vests Canada supporter threatens to kill law enforcement, claims to have cache of weapons. Gregory McNeil of Kamloops, BC was charged in 2010 after drawing a gun on RCMP officers. h/t @VestsCanada https://t.co/7pMgfj1wib pic.twitter.com/GSQPNKixVh

— Canadian Anti-Hate Network (@antihateca) February 12, 2019

We co-wrote this article with @antihateca . A yellow vest supporter threatened to kill law enforcement. He also claims he and his friends have gun caches. @rcmpgrcpolice @CBCNews @vicecanada @CANADALAND @HuffPostCanada @TorontoStar @globalnews @ARCCollective @wearenorth99 https://t.co/N1iTqYG7F7

— Yellow Vests Canada Exposed (@VestsCanada) February 12, 2019

Yep, another one, though he hasn't been arrested recently as far as I know.

More confirmation that this is a feature of the reactionary Yellow Vest protest movement and not a bug.

And as readers of this blog as well as those who follow Yellow Vests Canada Exposed and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (and if you don't, you should) know, this is only the tip of the iceberg:

You can witness online radicalization in real time on this #YellowVestsCanada thread. @facebook is being used to radicalize. #cdnpoli@OmarMosleh @MineerBrett @DACrosbie @ryanjespersen @CdnPress @simonplittle @JessMarinDavis @keithbaldrey @SiobhanFTB https://t.co/iI9TibJ7po pic.twitter.com/ykcSgZROGA

— Yellow Vests Canada Exposed (@VestsCanada) February 13, 2019

allows this to continue. pic.twitter.com/AMUamJczR4

— Yellow Vests Canada Exposed (@VestsCanada) February 13, 2019

The Cozy Relationship Between Rebel Media Personalities (Past and Present) and White Nationalist Generation Identity/ID Canada

Back on July 2, 2016 a rally and counter protest occurred at Queens Park in Toronto which in and of itself wasn't especially unusual. On this day were those who were demonstrating in support of al-Quds Day. On the other side were counter-protesters including the Jewish Defence League and supporters of the then newish Pegida Canada. While this event in and of itself would have been worth looking into in more detail had I been more on the ball at the time, it was what I have subsequently learned about what was happening on the periphery as a lone individual observed and commented on the event that I now find especially interesting:

The individual observing the event is seen above commenting on 4chan which is one of the toxic cesspools found online rife with racism, sexism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism. The individual took a number of photographs documenting his or her presence at the event:

The posts made by the individual (highlighted in red) and others certainly conform to the vicious hatred that one would expect to find on 4chan as well:

In some cases I've included the comment being responded too and combined it with the reply.

Now if I were to post every racist thing posted on 4chan, even if I confined myself to including only Canadian posts I'd be too busy to do anything else with my day. The reason why this particular thread is compelling is because of this comment in which the individual claims to be a writer for Rebel Media as well as being on the administrative team for Generation Identity Canada:

Generation Identity Canada, now rebranded as ID Canada, was barely on my radar at the time this post was made. I was somewhat aware of the movement in Europe but was more focused on more public groups such as the Soldiers of Odin and Pegida Canada. Over the past few years however this particular "identitarian" group and the movement in general has come to occupy a fair amount of my time.

Now while regular readers are likely all well aware of who Generation Identity/ID Canada is as well as the beliefs the membership holds at this point there may be a few new readers who would like a bit of a primer:

• Likely Generation Identity Canada Leader Revealed
• Generation Identity, Alt-Right Montreal, and the Identity of "Date"
• Generation Identity Canada Rebrands As ID Canada: Flyering Campaign This Past Monday

I can't speak to the truthfulness of claims the person posting these messaged made regarding his or her involvement with both Rebel Media or Generation Identity. I haven't been able to find any video on "The Rebel's" website that match the description of what was described and the original Generation Identity Canada Facebook page has long since gone the way of the Dodo only to replaced by a new Facebook group. However, one thing that is very clear is that current and former members of the Rebel Media team have had a very close relationship with Generation Identity/Generation Identity Canada/ID Canada over the years and have spent a lot of time promoting the group (full video "Exposure Undercover: Inside Britain's New Far Right can be found here):

Reactionary Yellow Vests Supporter Arrested: Numerous Weapons Charges

Back on January 28, an off-duty RCMP officer heard a man calling for a lost dog. When he tried to help the man whose name is Tony Green, this happened:

When the officer attempted to help the man locate his dog, Green allegedly pulled out a pistol and pointed it at him. 

The officer then removed himself from the situation, called 911, and responding Mounties quickly arrested Green. A handgun and ammunition were seized from the car he was driving.

Not exactly the best way to make friends and influence people.

Green faces six charges including, "pointing a firearm, possession dangerous to public, carrying a concealed weapon and unauthorized possession." He also amassed a considerable arsenal in his home as well:

RCMP on Vancouver Island have seized more than 100 firearms after executing a search warrant in Campbell River.....That night, police began what turned into a four-day search of Green’s property, in which they seized three full pick-up truckloads of guns, ammunition and prohibited devices. 

Police said the search was temporarily delayed when explosive materials were found and a disposal unit was called to the scene. 

“More than 100 guns, handguns, shotguns and assault-style rifles were seized. Many were prohibited firearms such as a WWII Bren machine gun with a tripod,” said an RCMP media release. 

“Investigators also located what can be described as homemade silencers, zip guns, prohibited over capacity magazines and untraceable firearms.”

Well it turns out that Mr. Green is someone who happens to be ideologically aligned with the reactionary Yellow Vest movement in the country:

We're waiting for confirmation on this, but it looks like a #YellowVestsCanada member has been arrested for pointing a gun at an off-duty RCMP officer. His home was searched, and the police seized many weapons and explosives. https://t.co/zVxd0WZLyk

— Yellow Vests Canada Exposed (@VestsCanada) February 9, 2019

This is Tony Green from Campbell River. His Facebook profile is very pro-gun. pic.twitter.com/FBkMXjUhgC

— Yellow Vests Canada Exposed (@VestsCanada) February 9, 2019

He is very pro yellow vest convoy. I certainly hope this person with so many weapons and explosives wasn't going to Ottawa. pic.twitter.com/dClMvC4ow1

— Yellow Vests Canada Exposed (@VestsCanada) February 9, 2019

 And yeah, he is very pro-gun....

.... and very anti-government:

In one example on his Facebook profile, Green shares an image originally posted by the new head of the III% militia which appears to attempt to provide justification for the violent overthrow of a democratically elected government:

Considering he appears to have ties to the reactionary Yellow Vesters which has been documented (primarily by the incredible Yellow Vests Canada Exposed) as having supporters who routinely threaten and advocate for the death of the prime minister as well as at least tacit support for the III% militia, I can't help be a bit concerned about heavily armed individuals being among their members, especially when they are already prone to far-right paranoid conspiracy theories:

And, not surprising, he is also found in the web connections between people covered on the blog including Ronny Cameron, Jeff Sharpe, Sandra Solomon, Adam Stevenson, Georges Hallack, Georges Massaad, Darren Tibbo (WCAI member), Dan Dubois, Lynn Redden, Brad Salzburg, and Kevin Johnston among others:

I wonder if anyone associated with the Yellow Vests convoy to Ottawa plans on being armed to the teeth as well?