Rollin with Pat & Jay Part 1: Debunked

ARC is pleased to let our readers know that the good folks at Yellow Vests Canada Exposed have joined the blog to write about the reactionary Yellow Vests movement in Canada. 

After participating in the United We Roll/Yellow Vest Convoy to Ottawa, Alberta resident Pat King and Saskatchewan resident Jay Riedel decided to embark on a tour they’ve called Rollin’ With Pat & Jay. Traveling across the country, they claim to “educate” Canadians on various issues they find important, however these “town halls” also include UN conspiracies, anti-refugee sentiments, and far-right ideas.

Riedel was the organizer of the Estevan Yellow Vests, although it’s unclear if he is currently. Both are members of the main Yellow Vests Canada page on Facebook. Much of the content shared on their personal and Rollin’ feeds is similar to what is found on various YVC pages and groups.

They’re currently traveling through Ontario, and have been met with some resistance. A largely community based effort was made to notify the legions (and other venues) at which they had planned their town halls. Yellow Vests Canada Exposed has tracked this activity, but has not made any active attempts to stop these town halls from going ahead as planned.

Both legions where the duo had planned to appear - Finch and Cornwall - canceled their reservation. King had previously stated this was due to the fact that they had not paid for the space, and he and Riedel both advised that when you pay for the legion’s space, you are entitled to “say whatever you want.”

Here’s Pat King and Jay Riedel claiming that if they pay for the legion, they’re entitled to talk about whatever they want, and that the reason Arnprior’s legion canceled was because they didn’t pay.

Disgusting.

/1#yellowvestscanada #cdnpoli #onpoli

cc: @RoyalCdnLegion pic.twitter.com/HCJs3937yd

— Yellow Vests Canada Exposed (@VestsCanada) April 22, 2019

On April 25, 2019 King and Riedel spoke with Robyn Miller of CBC Ottawa for a lengthy interview, which they live streamed themselves to Facebook prior to the piece being published. (Source: https://bit.ly/2UWJOFg) Numerous false and misleading claims were made to the CBC while King and Riedel remained largely unchallenged. We feel it’s important to provide accurate information, and context.

Note: The intent of this piece is to challenge just some of the false claims made during the interview, which was live streamed by King and Riedel, and not to debunk or discredit the article published by the CBC.

King claimed that the accusations of xenophobia and racism are “false accusations,” claiming the truth is “absolutely the contrary” and citing his girlfriend, who has African-Canadian children. Both are adamant that this is not true.

However, multiple posts illustrating xenophobic views have been documented from both of their personal social media pages, as well as their Rollin’ With Pat and Jay Facebook page.

Claim #1 - Racism and xenophobia are “false accusations

Claim #2 - Our ancestors were vetted, while present day immigrants and refugees were no/open borders

King advised CBC that the ancestors of Canadians were vetted and that currently, immigrants and refugees are not.

The historical reality is that immigration was largely unrestricted (except for Chinese people who had to pay the head tax and South Asian people who were barred from landing due to “continuous journey” regulations) until 1919, when the amended Immigration Act imposed restrictions or exclusions on more groups, mostly those involved in the first World War.

Meanwhile, the current process to vet immigrants and refugees is extensive, based on merit, and well-documented. When an individual presents at the border, they are entered into the legal process to apply for official refugee status, which involves vetting. If they are found to not meet the criteria, that individual is deported. Our immigration system even impresses people like Donald Trump, who stated that the US should have a system more like Canada’s immigration  process.

At the end of their live feed, the CBC producer advised them that some of their information is incorrect and suggested they speak with individuals responsible for ensuring appropriate vetting of newcomers. King and Riedel responded enthusiastically.

Claim #3 - Drama over King’s girlfriend’s job loss

When a social media user located in Arnprior saw King and Riedel were coming to their town to host an event, they reached out to the various legions they were planning on appearing at. YVCE amplified this message on Twitter, and King and Riedel’s followers soon started to send this individual messages demanding they cease their activity. Including one from Christy Marie Scheff, King’s girlfriend, who he states he met “because of the convoy” to CBC. The recipient confirmed that after the message was sent, Scheff blocked them from further contact.

YVCE shared this message, along with screenshots from Scheff’s Facebook profile. These posts included inflammatory and bigoted remarks about Muslims, and UN conspiracy theories.

Pat King’s girlfriend is threatening people who try and have venues cancel their dumb town halls.

Thought these clowns were defenders of free expression? pic.twitter.com/0LXcM7224C

— Yellow Vests Canada Exposed (@VestsCanada) April 22, 2019

An email was sent to Scheff’s employer by another social media user, advising them of the content their employee had posted online, and demanding action on their part. Scheff was fired, as confirmed in Facebook messages between the individual and the employer, however the cause was not specifically confirmed.

During the interview with CBC, King claims he spoke to person who sent the emails, as he had their telephone number and email address. We confirmed with the individual who sent the email that while he has received some calls from strange numbers lately, he did not speak with King, or Riedel. King also claimed that the Ontario Provincial Police is investigating the matter, yet the individual has not been contacted by authorities.

Scheff was allegedly advised her employment was terminated due to “attendance issues,” as told by King to the CBC producer after the interview had concluded.

Claim #4 - “All are welcome”

Both Riedel and King tell CBC that all are welcome to their events. In Pembroke, they identified who they believed to be a “troll” - an individual no one knew, who they claim was on their phone the entire time.

The comments directed toward this person in the live feed comments were not welcoming, and a few were outright threatening, with one referencing a taser (King and Riedel showed a stun baton in a previous live feed, claiming “if anyone starts any trouble, this is what you’re going to see.” source: https://bit.ly/2Pypbce timestamp: 2 min, 15 sec)

It is clear that anyone who may disagree with them may be subject to real-time online harassment, and have their photo shown to their followers. These are intimidation and harassment tactics, and not indicative of a healthy and open dialogue. Note: followers of King and Riedel refer to themselves often as “the kids,” and in turn, to King and Riedel as “dad/s.”

Claim #5 - Radicals are “vetted and kicked out”

In the interview with CBC both King and Riedel claim that radicals are “vetted and kicked out.” They aren’t clear if they are referring to Yellow Vests Canada or their own following, but both are demonstrably false, as heavily documented by YVCE. Riedel himself has made radical posts on social media.

The pair’s own views are radical. In addition to an average of 3 live feeds a day, lasting from an hour or more in length, they also either stream these town halls on Facebook live, or upload them to their YouTube channel. YVCE has previously tweeted the content of a town hall, filmed in Drayton Valley, AB. The event goes into detail about their experience with United We Roll, but also delves into far-right ideologies and conspiracy theories, as well as whitewashing problematic associations:

THREAD

I noticed this today, and realized we’ve been neglecting Pat King and Jay Riedel, and their “town halls” across SK and AB (so far.) /1#YellowVestsCanada #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/BwwtLBW1dd

— Yellow Vests Canada Exposed (@VestsCanada) March 31, 2019

One of the more troubling claims of recent town halls is their propagation of the Rothschild global banking conspiracy, referring to them as an “ethnic group” that controls the World Bank, and claiming they are direct descendants of Hitler:

This is like south park.
Pat: Do you know who owns the federal reserve?
audience: China? nuh-uh. India? nope. The UN? nope. OK who? Hang on I forget I have to check my copy of The Protocols..
That's right, the Rothchilds, who are direct descendants of Adolph Hitler @VestsCanada pic.twitter.com/PNyoOsItp2

— Will Banks (@willybrotten) April 24, 2019

At the Drayton Valley town hall King told the crowd that there is a “flooding of refugees,” which will “abuse and destabilize our banking system,” advising that this is “intentional by the UN, to bankrupt Canada” and to impose Agendas 21 and 23, and a “one world government.” King went on to state that “there is a bigger, darker entity trying to overthrow the world.”
They have hinted that this entity is the spooky RoThScHiLdS family. It's 2019 and the Rothschilds still get blamed for everything, from funding Hitler, to the creation of Israel, to controlling the weather.

The Rothschilds family were a real familybut have been the victim of anti-semitic propaganda for quite some time. The Rothschilds did not benefit from the second world war, like most Jews, they had their assets seized by the Nazis. When did the first rumor start of the evil Rothschilds? In Nazi Germany where a movie called "Die Rothschilds Aktien auf Waterloo" talked about how Nathan Rothschilds had manipulated the market.
He didn't, but that is the story the Nazis told their supporters.


The Rothschilds don't own the Bank of Canada, the Canadian government does. In fact, because the government owned the bank and it could only lend to the federal government. This changed in the Basel Committee solution.

These are things that are well documented but Pat and Jay do not know the history of their own country, and would rather get information from people like Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck, who lies for money.

The Rothschilds opened their own banks and they do business pretty openly. You can do a simple search to find them online.

These people don't deserve any level of serious consideration

The Role of Social Media in Radicalizing People Who Are Mentally Ill

Anecdotal evidence suggests that despite Maxime Bernier's claim to reject the extremists who have been attracted to his new right-wing party, the PPC in fact has been courting those very same people.

Bernier with Georges Massaad

Certainly there are the dog whistles regarding multiculturalism, immigration, and identity politics that Bernier is happy to repeat online and on the stump. There is also some evidence that indicates that some PPC riding associations know that at least some of their supporters hold extremist views and that those members are simply asked to keep those views concealed:

A recent article in the Canadian edition of the Huffington Post goes even further claiming that the PPC is actively courting votes from extremists groups including one mentioned frequently on this blog:

The Canadian Combat Coalition, also known as C3, is a self-described group of "patriots concerned with Canada's future." It has downplayed suggestions it endorses "any racist or hate ideologies," despite Islamophobic and anti-immigrant messages dominating its online community and having members who are known to show up at anti-Islam rallies. 

"Let's take their votes, but no publicized cross endorsement of any kind," reads a message sent in February by national co-ordinator Caleb Voskamp in a Facebook group chat for PPC executives and organizers.

On the one hand courting the likes of the Canadian Combat Coalition seems rather futile given the actual membership consists mainly of a very small group of people (mainly in Ontario) who would have difficulty packing an elevator. My guess is that the CCC is simply representative of a number of extremists groups -- Proud Boys, Nouns of Odin, Northern Guard, etc -- whom the PPC may be actively trying to get support from, though even if this is the case the number of actual votes the PPC would receive from actual members, even if every member voted for a PPC candidate, would be minuscule.

More likely, the PPC is appealing to the people who, while not necessarily members of these groups, are active online as supporters. Those numbers, though still relatively small when compared to the rest of the potential electorate, are considerably larger than the core membership. These individuals are present on the social media sites of these hate groups and have become radicalized by the rhetoric of online extremism.

I present this individual as a potentially typical example of such a supporter, however I do so with a significant caveat that will become apparent later on in the article:

Sears and St. Germaine Sentencing Update

While trying to piece together media reports and accounts from ARC supporters of the Your Ward News sentencing hearing this morning, one word keeps coming to mind: circus.

Sears answers media questions outside court, flanked by skinheads and other supporters. April 26, 2019 (Photo submitted by an ARC reader.)

Your Ward News' Editor in Chief, James Sears, and Publisher, LeRoy St. Germaine, were found guilty in January of willfully promoting hatred against Jews and women under S319(2) of the criminal code. In the lead-up to today's hearing, Sears likened himself to Christ and seemed to relish the idea of being led away in cuffs on Greek Orthodox Good Friday. He also claimed he would (checks notes) bring his "posse of black folks" with him, and would attempt to "reason with the Judge."

Spoiler: no "posse" was in attendance, and certainly no successful "reasoning" occurred.

Crown Attorney Erica Whitford presented thorough submissions relying on extensive research of existing case law that referenced many, if not all, hate crimes cases that have resulted in a custodial sentence in Canada. She called for the maximum sentence of 6 months per count, for a total of 1 year, to be served consecutively. In addition, she asked for 3 years probation, with strict conditions that would prohibit Sears from publishing within that period. The sentence, she argued, must serve both as a denunciation of the hate speech that occurred, as well as a deterrent for future incidents of said hate speech. CP24 reported that she also referenced multiple victim and community impact statements that read, in part:

"By delivering Your Ward News to our door, they were saying there was nowhere to feel safe."

"Hate speech strikes at the heart of Canadian values. The glorification of violence against women made them feel vulnerable, retraumatized some, and tended to hurt the cause of equality overall."

Sears' attorney, Dean Embry, conceded that Your Ward News did devolve into hate speech, and called it "repugnant," however, he argued that the publication was not "created with the sole purpose of spreading genocidal thought," and, amazingly, insisted that the Crown had failed to prove that YWN had, in fact, caused any actual harm. According to reports, he insisted that the total sentence should be no more than 2-4 months called for a four-month conditional sentence and added that the Judge cannot sentence based on "theoretical harm." He also claimed that barring Sears from publishing anything for 3 years was too broad.

The proceedings started to go off the rails when Sears was given the opportunity to speak. He had prepared a 62-page "allocution," that he claimed would take at least an hour to deliver. Judge Blouin instructed him, repeatedly, to stick to issues pertaining only to sentencing, however, he still apparently managed to take up 20 minutes of the court's time. Here's a sampling of what he said:

 

CTV quotes Sears as saying, "I'm approached on a regular basis by angry men, and sometimes women, that Your Ward News gave them a voice when no one else would. Several men have told me that, because of our publication, they did not commit violence." 

He also apparently brought a blind man to court who he presented before the Judge as an example of someone who was "saved" from committing an act of violence against the doctor who blinded him. YWN, he claimed, gave this man a "release valve" for his rage and he now spends his time handing out copies of the publication on street corners. 

Perhaps most interestingly, Sears thanked a woman named "Grace," who is supposedly one of his publication's strongest financial backers. He said she flew in from Japan to be present at the sentencing. 

UPDATE 1: We have confirmed that "Grace" from Japan is, in fact, Holocaust denier Grace Eki-Oyama, who, at one point, vacationed with Paul Fromm in Cuba. 

But wait! There's more:

 

After calling the Crown racist, he, according to CTV, tried to reason with the Judge, stating that "We're just trying to open a discussion. His Honour cannot take one side of a religious debate or one side of a political debate." 

He then goes on to contradict himself and engage in his trademarked grandstanding:

Despite not having his promised "posse" with him, media have reported that about 15 supporters of the publication were in attendance. So far, ARC has identified the usual suspects, including Paul Fromm, Bahman Yazdanfar, Lawrence McCurry, Arthur Smitherman, and the woman we previously identified as a long-time court attender, dating back to the Zundel trials. We are working to identify some others, and expect to have an updated list soon.

Judge Blouin is taking a month to review the sentencing submissions, including the victim impact statements, which apparently were only delivered to him last night. Sears is expected to be sentenced on May 31st.

St. Germaine has a longer reprieve as the court needs to wait for the submission of his pre-sentencing report. (We assume the press is referring to the Gladue Report). St. Germaine's sentencing is scheduled for July 15th.

UPDATE 1a:

Your Ward News contributor, Lawrence McCurry, uploaded a video of yesterday's media scrum with James Sears and his friend Jonathan, who is the blind man Sears claims his paper "saved" from committing an act of violence. For the sake of transparency, I'll make clear that I edited out the beginning where McCurry tries to get Warren Kinsella and Bernie Farber to comment. He claims they were not present to see justice done, but to "represent the globalist position and ideology to the controlled corporate media who have not been honest in the way they have reported on this story from the very start." He then goes on to show a media clip used by a mainstream news outlet to illustrate how the press manipulates things. The bulk of his video, however, is unedited footage of Sears' media scrum, which is what I've included here. Sears sticks to his talking points from his "allocution" about YWN being a release valve, that he is a law-abiding citizen who was trying to open a discussion, and then digs in to his plans for a constitutional challenge over his conviction and pending sentence. Paul Fromm chimes in and compares Sears to James Joyce! I'll let the rest speak for itself, however, I will add a WARNING that there is some graphic language regarding rape:

Tyson Hunt of The Clann Recruits People To Assault Anti-Fascist Counter-Protesters.... on Kijiji

So the mantra of the right is that it is "antifa" who are violent and they are victims who are only defending themselves. Aside from the fact at being an anti-fascist is the default for decent human beings, this claim has been proven false time and time and time again.

It doesn't stop them from making it even when it is proven to be a lie.

Which is why this Kijiji ad (I'm not kidding) posted by Tyson Hunt is especially interesting:

Yeah... anti-fascists are the violent ones:

Then again, Hunt is a lot of bark, but not a lot of bite:

Fact is despite their bravado, the far-right know how effective counter-protesters are and are afraid of them:

the reviews are in! in a live video tonight, C3 president said antifa is "effective" & it's "actually spread a genuine fear in the patriots". he was specifically talking about edmonton, so keep up the great work @EdmontonAgainst & other anti-fascists in #yeg! pic.twitter.com/kOf1IP9ObB

— Bob Nesta Makhno mistake ☠🏴 (@GilletteMachNo1) April 17, 2019

Consider this to be your warm and fuzzies of the evening.

VERY Late Update on Pegida Go Fund Me Effort

So remember when I wrote that ARC would be updating regarding Pegida Canada's effort to raise money on Go Fund Me to pay for the damages as a result of a successful defamation suit against the leader and founder of the hate group?

Well I have a very good reason for not doing it earlier!

I forgot.

Yeah, it happens.

In any case as a review Pegida Canada was hit with a $10,000 penalty after losing a defamation suit resulting from an earlier rally and the statements subsequently posted to social media. Some reports suggested it was $11,000, though this might have been incorrect or it also took into account other expenses. Not long after they set up a Go Fund Me account to try to pay for the judgement. Among those attempting to help Pegida Canada raise the money was Mary Forrest who has been profiled hear before.... usually foul mouthed, possibly drunk (though she does also claim to have a traumatic brain injury), and joking about killing their political opposition. In a 20+ minute video (posted not long after the campaign began, Forrest appears to be trying to bully and guilt people into supporting the Go Fund Me campaign. Be forewarned that I've edited for length and have included my usual editorial snark:

She eventually gets to the crux of the issue. In short, and to sum up her brilliant legal analysis, Jenny Hill shouldn't have been sued because the social media post wasn't THAT defamatory:

However, the efforts of Hill, Forrest, and others have been for naught. ARC and others let Go Fund Me know that a hate group (and yes, they are a hate group) was attempting to raise money on their platform and.... well....

With this in mind, Pegida is planning on another march on May 4. Perhaps the fine people of Toronto might like to turn out in the same, or greater, numbers that they did on March 23?:

Book Review: Graphic Novel "Christie Pits"

Christie Pits
Written by Jamie Michaels
Illustrated by Doug Fedrau
Dirty Water Comics

I realize book reviews are a bit of a departure for ARC, but occasionally a book comes along that captures important moments in Canada's history of racism and antisemitism earning itself a spotlight here. Christie Pits, which tells the story of the lead up to, and events of, Canada's "largest single eruption of ethnic violence in Post-Confederation Canadian history" (Michaels, 2019), on August 16th 1933, is one such book.

For those unaware, the riot began after a baseball game in Toronto's Christie Pits Park when a local "swastika club" called The Pit Gang provoked a Jewish and Italian baseball team after a game. Once reinforcements arrived, the brawl swelled to an estimated 10,000 people and spilled over into neighbouring streets. It lasted most of the night and resulted in numerous injuries, as well as property damage to Jewish shops. Fortunately, no one was killed. In the aftermath, Mayor William James Stewart forbade the display of the swastika in the city.

In some ways, I feel unqualified to talk about Christie Pits because I'm not Jewish, nor am I particularly well-read in the graphic novel genre. However, I also feel I'm exactly the sort of person writer Jamie Michaels and illustrator Doug Fedrau are trying to reach with this newly-launched work. In his introduction, writer and historian Irving Abella states that "the format of this book ... is compelling and makes an uncomfortable story more accessible." I believe this is true. And beyond accessibility, a graphic novel combines the slow pace of a book with visuals allowing the reader to sit with both and take them in, contemplate the meaning, and let the emotional connection fully develop.

It is also worth noting that the choice to use this visual medium, with a simple, relatable, Tintin inspired style, was very deliberate. Michaels explained to the CBC that Jewish writers are well-represented in both comic books and graphic novels, paving the way for both writers and readers to engage without the same history of antisemitism found in other genres. "There's a lot of these anti-Semitic tropes embedded in literature and that's the unique thing about comics is, because it's got such Jewish origins, it's kind of one of the first modern mainstream mediums to be free of those stereotypes," he said.

In the lead-up to the riot, readers get to know a group of affable young Jewish men who easily pull you into their world. They're worried about their families, they go to work and school, enjoy sports, particularly boxing and baseball, and they take risks to find love, even if that means approaching someone different from themselves. In many ways, they'd be no different than many you'd meet in Toronto today. As Michaels said in one interview, “when you read a novel you can kind of immerse into a worldview that will give you a better understanding as a human being as opposed to being a historian.”

While the riot is extensively researched and incredibly well-illustrated, it, in fact, only takes up 18 pages of the book. The weight of the story is in developing the characters, as well as adding important context about the state of antisemitism in that era, which humanizes and personalizes the unimaginable for those who were not there. Conceiving of 10,000 people brawling on the streets of Toronto is impossible otherwise. 

Experiencing the riot from a personal point of view is powerful, but what affected me the most is the illustration of the day-to-day antisemitism Jews experienced in Canada in the '30s, while Hitler's shadow loomed large. It is deeply humbling as a current-day activist to understand, even in a small way, how hate and discrimination can limit a person's life and create an undercurrent of fear that impacts every activity from school, to work, to making dinner and relaxing at home.

My favourite line is spoken not by a character in the story, but by Michaels himself in the postscript. He says "history never repeats itself, but it often rhymes." Christie Pits holds up a mirror for us to see an ugly past reflected in our present. As many nations in the West, including Canada, lean in to right-wing populism, we are increasingly putting our rights and relative safety at risk, and vulnerable communities will bear the brunt of voters' astonishingly poor choices. This book, as Michaels says, is "depressingly relevant." However, it contains many important lessons, not just on the dangers of hate, but on the value of ally-ship, the importance of community, and that there is always hope for change.

[All comic images from Dirty Water Comics. Christie Pits riot photo originally from the Globe and Mail, now Wikicommons. It is the only known photo of the riot to be preserved. Plaque from Toronto's Historical Plaques.]

Fire Guts Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris: Islamophobes Blame Muslims

The first time I visited Notre-Dame in my early 30s I didn't have the words to express the awe I felt simply standing before the 800 year cathedral. Entering the medieval gothic building simply added to my sense of smallness, but also left me with a feeling of being connected across centuries with the millions of people who had come to worship or visit. I was born a Roman Catholic and though I had fallen away from the Church by this point one couldn't help but feel some sort of connection with the divine whether one thinks of it as a sky god with a furrowed brow and white hair or the universe itself.

I have always counted myself fortunate to have been able to experience Notre-Dame and I spent much of the afternoon looking at my old photos of my time spent there. I looked at these photos with sadness now because of the horrible event that occurred today:

• Macron promises to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral after fire, seeks international help
• 'It's absolutely heartbreaking': Canadians mourn as Notre-Dame Cathedral burns

This isn't just a loss for France. It is a loss for the entire human family. 

Tragedies like this -- and thankfully there was no human life lost -- bring out the best and worst in people. The people who I who remember include the Parisians who in photos and videos are comforting each other; who state that they will rebuild a great monument to human achievement. These Parisians represent the cross section of the modern, multi-cultural, city; white, African, Arab, Asian. I want to remember the heroism of the firefighters determined to save the cathedral putting their own lives on the line in the process.

Unfortunately, we can't ignore that it also brings out the worst in some who, perversely giddy with excitement, are using the tragedy to stoke fear and hatred:

Unless there are some serious changes in the horizon, none of which I can see, this problem is only going to get worse. https://t.co/O0lcUqeukc

— Mack Lamoureux (@MackLamoureux) April 15, 2019

At this point no one is certain what caused the fire though most experts are suggesting that it was likely the result of an accident related to renovations the cathedral was undergoing. This hasn't stopped hate groups and Islamophobes from using this tragedy as an excuse to attack Muslims specifically and immigrants in general. In a sense this didn't surprise me since these people often invoke Muslims as a scapegoat, such as the forest fires in BC and Alberta:

United we roll is about pipelines..... oh, and sharing bullshit from infowars. #yellowvestscanada #cdnpoli#cdnmedia pic.twitter.com/gC5mr3v1Ha

— Yellow Vests Canada Exposed (@VestsCanada) April 15, 2019

In Canada one of the first to jump on this bandwagon was Faith Goldy:

Goldy is infamous for this kind of race baiting. She suggested that the Quebec mosque massacre was perpetrated by Muslims (it wasn't), that the van attack in Toronto last spring was the action of a jihadist (it wasn't), that laws in Alberta have been re-written so Muslims don't need to have their picture take for a firearms license (not true as it is old legislation and was focused on the Christian Hutterite community), and that Syrian children were attacking "Canadian" children in Halifax elementary schools (not true). While these stories have been debunked they continue to spread by the people and groups this blog covers who believe Goldy's lies -- and she is a liar -- and share the lies on social media as truth.

I've collected a small sample of screen shots. Truth be told I was unsure if I should republish them since I am worried about giving these people a platform. However I think it is important to highlight not only the Islamophobia, but also the antisemitism and racism found in these groups because too many people want to stick their heads in the sand to the reality of how toxic things have become:

Old Is New Again: Some Members of Far-Right Attempt To Have Ideological Opponents, Media, and Politicians Jailed

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the "apex" of far-right "patriot" journalism in Canada:

Yep, this is a clip of a drunken Rick Boswick, Derek Storie, and Corey/Kory.... Something-or-Other (I genuinely can't be bothered to look up his last name) defaming a journalist who has already been assaulted by the far-right, complaining about the violence they claim to be subjected to, and talking about bringing paintball guns loaded with glass marbles to shoot at counter-protesters.

Not a good look gentlemen. Not a good look at all.

In any case, the boys here have been rather busy. On weekends they organize Poorly attended Yellow Vest protests on an overpass outside Toronto. They also found themselves the focus of a national news story when, in their Yellow Vest attire, they heckled PM Justin Trudeau and Toronto mayor John Tory during a news conference concerning affordable housing:

As a bit of an aside, I'm not sure complaining about being called white supremacists then going ton to complain about minorities and the persecution of white people (in addition to the New World Order conspiracy theories) really help your case much:

However, the Pegida protest in Toronto on March 23 is what has Boswick and Storie all riled up, especially this tweet from John Tory:

It should be noted that the Pegida Canada rally came hot on the heels of the murder of 50 Muslim worshipers in Christchurch, New Zealand. A couple of days prior to the Pegida Canada rally in Toronto, Faith Goldy and her drones appeared at an anti-racism rally and memorial for the Christchurch victims intent on antagonizing the attendees; Bowswick and Storie came after Goldy's group left.

In fact, both the Pegida Canada rally and the harassment of the memorial were discussed when Goldy interviewed both Boswick and Storie.

Before I post this though, a brief open letter to Faith Goldy.

Hi Faith. May I call you Faith?  

You and I need to talk about life choices. 

For example, you went from someone who interviewed the now leader of Her Majesty's Official Opposition and, perhaps, future Prime Minister of Canada to being kicked off most social media platforms as a white nationalist and interviewing two unemployed drifters during one of their moments of sobriety while they ranted on about New World Order conspiracy theories. 

In the dark hours of the evening, and you experience the Dark Night of the Soul when you can't sleep and find yourself staring at the ceiling, do you ever wonder where it all went wrong Faith?

Boswick and Storie present a narrative of the Pegida members being the victims of unprovoked attacks on March 23. While it certainly was a raucous event with Pegida members outnumbered by 10 to 1, the story isn't really quite as clear cut as the two make it out to be:

Still, this particular bug has really gotten up their butts.

In the they posted where they are heckling Trudeau and Tory, you probably heard Boswick, Storie, or both talking about some sort of legal challenge. They discuss it in slightly more detail at one point:

That's right. They think they can prosecute Tory for a tweet and destroy "antifa" because.... freedom I guess:

March 30, 2019 Hate Rally: Video of Racist Groups Prove They Were the Aggressors

On March 30, the second day of what Joey Deluca claimed would be a 72 hour "patriot rally" in Edmonton occurred. Much like the previous day, the hate groups which included the Worldwide Coalition Against Islam (WCAI), Canadian Combat Coalition (CCC), Northern Guard, Soldiers of Odin (SoO), and a smattering of Yellow Vesters were outnumbered by 100s of counter-protesters. Unlike the previous day, the hate groups headed to Churchill Square to reorganize and headed back to the Legislature. Most of the counter-protesters had left by that point but the 40+ members of the various hate groups were still met by more than a dozen counter-protesters who learned that they were returning. In the end the hate groups spent a short time at the Legislature before leaving once again.

Things became tense though when members of the Northern Guard, SoO, and others affiliated with these hate groups were met by anti-fascists as they walked down the road. The resulting confrontation resulted in one counter-protester being assaulted and a member of the SoO being taken into custody though more were involved in the assault.

Since then, the narrative being told by the hate groups which has been disseminated on social media is that it was the hate groups who were the victims claiming that the person who was assaulted had attacked a woman with the flag pole being carried by the SoO member who was ultimately taken into custody. 

Actual video evidence however proves that they were the aggressors, the woman in question was not assaulted by the victim of the attacks by the hate groups, and that there was a premeditated plan to attack counter-protesters:

It took some time, but we finally got our hands on a compilation of clips that illustrates the assault that took place on March 30th, 2019, in Edmonton, Alberta.

It's slightly more than half an hour long, so brace yourself or break it up as you see fit!https://t.co/3uneXNhhAj

— EdmontonAgainstFascism (@EdmontonAgainst) April 10, 2019

 

None of this is surprising since it has become standard for these hate groups to assault people with some degree of impunity then claim to be the victim. During the first rally on Saturday when the WCAI, SoO, Northern Guard, and others were outnumbered by 100s, no one was harmed despite the tired claim that "antifa" attack "patriots" when they are outnumbered. It was only when the members of the hate groups were in greater number than the counter-protesters that people were attacked.

The fact that hate groups are on the streets in numbers and carrying out premeditated attacks should be national news - and there's video proof. @alexboutilier @IreneGentle @MackLamoureux @CBCTheNational @RalphGoodale @cafreeland @kinsellawarren @JesseBrown @OmarMosleh

— Canadian Anti-Hate Network (@antihateca) April 10, 2019