Atalante and Its Supporters — Part 3: Louis Fernandez et Baptiste Gilistro… the French Factor

Since the article “Unmasking Atalante” came out in December, we’ve produced two follow-up articles concerning, respectively, the “influencer” Heïdy Prévost’s  and the folk band Folk You, two cultural (or metapolitical) phenomena at the periphery of Atalante. It is difficult to precisely measure the  impact our work might have on the morale and activities of this neofascist group, but we have noted fewer public outings in recent months, and those that did occur appeared to involve the same small hardcore group of militants, with the exception of a recent photo-op in Montréal, where clearly every possible sympathizer was mobilized for the occasion.

While some of those involved had no inhibitions about openly displaying their adherence to a fascist-inspired ideology, a number of the members and sympathizers we have already exposed chose to stay in hiding under their rock. It should come as no surprise, then, when we continue to shine a light on this pile of Nazi shit.

Deprived of any respectability and finding its political ambitions blocked, in recent months, Atalante’s core group seems to have fallen back into the violent subculture from which it originally emerged. Unable to effectively establish the organization locally, Atalante members are traveling overseas more often (particularly to France and Italy) and further developing their ties to international fascism, as can be seen by the French NSBM band Baise Ma Hache coming to Québec in June to play a concert with Légitime Violence. (A concert that, it should be noted, was disrupted by antifascists, who forced the fascists to chaotically regroup and hold their concert later that same evening at Bar Le Duck. No love lost here for the bar’s management, who welcomed the Nazis with open arms. Don’t hesitate to let them know how you feel about that.)

Even the launching of Atalante’s first book, Saisir la foudre [Ride the Lightening], last March, occurred without any fireworks, which is not normal behaviour for this group, which barely exists outside of social media and generally trumpets even its most minor exploits with carefully staged grandiloquent photo displays. Could it be that this first opus fell far short of its author’s intellectual ambitions. You’ll forgive us for thinking that that is probably the case.

In reality, it would seem that Atalante as a political organization has become a sideshow, while the street gang at its origin, the Québec Stomper Crew, is breathing new life — particularly since a sad little Nazi from France decided to join!

>> See “The Québec Stomper Crew, Rock Against Communism, and Légitime Violence” section of the “Unmasking Atalante” article.

It’s no secret that the Stompers have cultivated an intimate relationship with violence. There are reasons to believe that gaining admission to the“crew” is contingent upon a rite of passage or initiation that involves committing an act of aggression or other crime in the group’s name.

We could cite the example of Yannick Vézina (alias Yann Sailor), who seems to have become a full-patch member of the Québec City Stompers shortly after participating in an attack on an antifascist militant.

In a more recent example, it seems that Sven Côté (alias Svein Krampus) got his official colours on the evening of the attack on the Page Noire book store, in December 2018.

In recent months, we have easily identified two other Stompers “prospects,” one of whom has even received his gang colours. Both of them come from France and are among the rare new Atalante members: Louis Fernandez and Baptiste Gilistro.

Hit a CEGEP student and win your colours!

Louis Fernandez came to our attention after his December 2018 arrest for a physical attack on a young client at the Lvlop bar in Québec City. This violent act seems to have been motivated by hate (he asked his victim several times if he was “antifa” before pummeling him). Although police found an Atalante sticker in his wallet, the twenty-five-year-old Fernandez denied any knowledge of the group. We can now assert that it is beyond doubt that Louis Fernandez knows the members of Atalante intimately, as he became an official member of the Québec Stomper Crew following this attack.

Unsurprisingly, a summary examination of his tattoos proves that Fernandez is a genuine neo-Nazi “de souche.” Here he is moving his pisspot leader Raf Stomper’s washing machine:

“Ça ne colle pas, je suis un fils d’immigré et immigré moi-même” [It doesn’t add up. I’m the son of immigrants and an immigrant myself], Fernandez said at his bail hearing. However, here he is easily recognizable taking part in an Atalante postering run. At least it’s not one of the numerous anti-immigrant posters the group has produced and posted over the years…

On Monday, July 29, Louis Fernandez must make a court appearance at the Palais de justice de Québec to answer charges related to the Lvlop attack. It would appear that Fernandez was released with a certain number of conditions, including that he not consume alcohol. We truly hope that no one sees the photos and videos of “Lou” with his little comrades, beer in hand and clearly inebriated. A video posted only a few days ago shows him chilling in France, sipping pastis.

We know that on the evening of the attack at Lvlop, Louis Fernandez was not alone. According to witnesses, he was with at least two other people, including Jonathan Payeur (alias Jo Stomper), an Atalante underling and one of Raphaël Lévesque’s minions. We also know that he was in the company of a couple, one of them a young student from France who has previously been spotted at Atalante actions: Baptiste Gilistro.

From Toulon to Québec: another French immigrant expatriate fascist!

Baptiste Gilistro is a twenty-three-year-old student from Toulon, France. He comes from a bourgeois family and is the son of a top-level member of the French army, Colonel Thierry Gilistro (who now works for Dassault Aviation. A shout-out to dad while we’re at it!). During his graphic design studies at the Université Laval, Baptiste met Étienne Mailhot-Bruneau (alias Sam Ox), Atalante’s graphic artist and a member of the Québec Stompers. A quick look tells us that they have collaborated on a number of school projects and shared a prize when they completed their bachelor’s degree. It would appear that Baptiste is still studying at the Université Laval. (It’s worth noting that as part of his studies he produced a video clip for Québec Redneck Bluegrass Project, a fairly left-wing band.)

We know that Baptiste Gilistro is no stanger to Atalante’s hard core, because he has been socializing with them for over a year now. He has also taken part in a number of street actions and hikes out in the bush with Atalante members (… as well as being complicit in an assault against lefty students!) It seems he only got closer to the Québec Stomper Crew over time, since he’s been spotted at most of their private events, including Raphaël Léveques’ move to a new home.

The inevitable debacle continues…

Nothing is going according to plan for Atalante: its leader Raphaël Lévesque probably dreamed of a show trial following the Vice Québec affair, but the attack at the Lvlop and Louis Fernandez’s involvement may be about to steal the show. The kind of media noise that its members’ escapades attract to the organization is far more likely to undermine its legitimacy process and distract it from its political objectives than to generate the positive attention it needs to grow.

You can count on us to insist on rooting them out. We have not said our last word.

To sum up, it can be said that: 1) Louis Fernandez is a full member of Atalante and the Quebec Stompers following the Lvlop attack; 2) this assault was not a fortuitous act, but a premeditated attack motivated by political reasons, and; 3) Atalante can only recruit and retain in its ranks a minority of characters gravitating towards neo-fascist circles.