Antifa on Montreal Counter-information

A demonstration by healthcare workers ( « Manif des travailleurs de la santé!!!!! » ) has been called for July 18th at the Parc Saint-Laurent in Repentigny. Organized by a collective of patient attendants, « Le journal des PAB », the demonstration has five demands (which are not at all easy to find of the event page…) and is inviting “all healthcare workers in Quebec” to join them. At first glance this struck us as a welcome initiative, but we changed our minds pretty quickly over the past week when we saw that several far-right figures and anti-lockdown conspiracy theorists were inviting themselves or plain out being invited to attend by some of the organizers!

Call for International Solidarity: Storm Their Fragile Bastions of Power

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 14:36:34 +0000

From Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement

Revolutionary greetings from the insurrection sweeping throughout the occupied territories of the so-called United States of America. We are asking comrades across the world for immediate and unrelenting acts of solidarity against the United States.

In the past few days, we have accumulated experiences that amount to decades of learning. In doing exactly what we previously thought was impossible, we have exposed this country for what it truly is: nothing more than a fragile paper tiger. Tearing at its massive technological police state, the black people of America have demonstrated that they will from hereon refuse to ever be intimidated by a power structure upheld by white terror and violence.

Fascism and Antifascism during a Pandemic

Fri, 29 May 2020 13:11:24 +0000

The pandemic that hit the entire planet full force beginning in January 2020 has, at least temporarily, completely altered the political climate, given that the lockdown and the ban on gatherings mean that social movements cannot default to their traditional tactics, e.g., demonstrations to denounce injustice and propose solutions. Far from being some pause or time out, the pandemic constitutes, among other things, an increasingly intense political situation, during which class relations exhibit their inherent violence at its bluntest. Racialized minorities and poor neighbourhoods experience the carnage at its most brutal, domestic violence rises as the lockdown drags on, the police forces take advantage of the state of emergency to harass and abuse the people they usually target with even greater abandon, people from immigrant communities, particularly Asians, are even more stigmatized than usual, the state issues decree after decree to force large sections of the population to work in unsafe conditions for starvation wages in the name of its sacrosanct economy, and on it goes.

2019 in review

Sun, 10 May 2020 13:41:58 +0000

In 2019, the far right in Québec was a lot quieter than it had been in 2018 and 2017, the year that Montréal Antifasciste was formed. There are a number of reasons for this:

the CAQ taking power in October 2018 demobilized a certain number of members in the organized groups, who found themselves with a government that was at least partially sympathetic to their identitarian demands (of course, this is not to in any way suggest that these far-right ideas and currents have magically disappeared);
major internal conflicts that had been building for some time finally exploded in the past year, particularly within La Meute but also within various groupuscules, including the Gardiens du Québec (LGDQ) and Groupe Sécurité Patriote (GSP), destabilizing the most important and best structured groups;
taking advantage of the weakening of the key groups, a certain number of marginal figures and “problematic leaders” (for example, Pierre Dion of the Quebec “Gilets jaunes” (Yellow Vests), Luc Desjardins and Michel Meunier of LGDQ, as well as other distasteful individuals like Diane Blain) have played a more important role, further discrediting and demobilizing the national-populist far right;
the sustained work of antifascists in identifying ad denouncing the more radical elements, meaning, the full-on fascists and neo-Nazis in Québec’s far right, which doubtless took the wind out of the sails of part of the base supporting Atalante and the alt-right groupuscules;
the antiracist and antifascist movement also continued its sustained mobilization against the national-populist current, particularly what was its key vehicle throughout 2019, the Vague bleue.

The decline in activity on Québec’s far right doesn’t signal a victory for antifascist forces. To the contrary, with a majority populist government in the Assemblée Nationale, a government that moved rapidly in its first year in power to pass the racist Bill 21 on state secularism, as well as gagging debate to adopt a variety of anti-immigrant measures, it is reasonable to postulate that the right-wing forces are simply taking a breather, because they feel they’ve achieved some of their main goals. That said, the relative calm has been an opportunity for us to do the work necessary to deepen and refine our analysis, which has led us to define two broad tendencies on the far right. (For more, see Between National Populism and Neofascism: The State of the Far Right in Québec in 2019 .)

COVID-19: Preliminary Thoughts on the Current Situation

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 13:45:24 +0000

What follows are preliminary thoughts; things are changing quickly and in unpredictable ways, and while we don’t claim to have anything particularly original to say, we feel it’s important to communicate some thoughts and connect some dots from an anti-racist, anti-fascist perspective, as the exercise might be useful, and to start thinking now about how we will move forward from this. ///

The COVID-19 pandemic has set off waves of repressive and authoritarian reaction, often along nationalist lines. While the virus will claim a heavy toll in lives lost, the social ramifications are likely to be at least as significant.

Statement of Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en and Their Resistance Against Colonial Aggression

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 14:45:08 +0000

Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), February 27, 2020 – Montréal Antifasciste declares our complete and unconditional solidarity and support with the people of the Wet’suwet’en nation in their ongoing resistance to Canadian colonialism, as well as with all those who have taken action in support of the Wet’suwet’en following the invasion by the RCMP. While there have been blockades across the illegal country of “Canada”, we would like to specifically mention those established by members of the Mohawk Nation in Kahnawake and Tyendinaga, the latter of which having been attacked by the colonial police on February 24th, the former currently under threat of another colonial injunction. We are an antifascist group, and as such we often end up focusing on people who the mainstream of society consider marginal losers, at best. Yet we do so knowing, as the poet Aimé Césaire explained, that fascism bears a direct relationship to colonialism. Writing about Europe and the rise of Hitler, Césaire noted that the crimes of Nazism were simply the crimes the European powers had inflicted on colonized peoples, come home to roost. This is true here in Canada, where the far right builds on a history of colonial violence against oppressed nations around the world, but first and foremost against the nations of people who are Indigenous to these lands.

Raf Stomper’s Trial in Montréal: A Losing Proposition… Except for the Man at the Center of It

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 17:21:48 +0000

From Montréal Antifasciste Montréal, December 12, 2019— Today is the fourth and final day of the trial of the recognized leader of Atalante Québec, Raphaël Lévesque (alias Raf Stomper), at the Palais de Justice in Montréal. Lévesque is charged with mischief, breaking and entering, and criminal harassment. The charges arise from a stunt Lévesque and six other Atalante militants pulled on May 23, 2018, at the Vice Québec office.

We haven’t been all that interested in the trial up to this point. All we’re seeing is a court circus out of all proportion to the action that led to the charges. We are entirely aware of the fact that our perspective on the issue will differ from that of the media (which is a party to this little affair), the “justice system,” and the generally held liberal position of Québécois society. That’s why we thought it wise to explicitly formulate out position [for additional information, media can visit https://montreal-antifasciste.info or contact us at alerta-mtl @ riseup.net]

Messe des Morts: Neo-Nazi Pascal Giroux Gets a Beating

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 17:12:00 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

On Friday, November 28, the black metal festival La Messe des Morts took place at Théâtre Paradoxe. Three neo-Nazis were spotted on site or had announced their intention to be there on social networks. One of them, Pascal Giroux, received quite a beating upon leaving the theater.

Pascal Giroux is openly a neo-Nazi militant since the golden age of boneheads in Montreal. Recently he had joined the islamophobic group Soldiers of Odin, and he participated in all their actions, until their dissolution in 2018. In pictures, he can be seen wearing a Section Saint-Laurent shirt and an SOO hoodie, posing in front of a Black Sun flag and protecting the house of neo-Nazi Phillipe Gendron in 2018, during an anti-racist demonstration.

Varennes: An Atalante Nazi on Rue Sainte-Anne

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:04:11 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

Vincent Cyr, resident of Rue Sainte-Anne in Varennes is a dangerous neo-Nazi and member of the organization Atalante Quebec. Vincent sometimes boxes in Parc de la Commune with his Nazi friends. He regularly participates in Atalante’s activities in Montreal.

On the night of Monday, December 11, 2019, 1000 flyers were distributed on his street, in his neighborhood, at bus shelters and in front of key locations in the town. Because people like him hide and the population needs to know.

Debunking Atalante: Not Nazis But… Yeah Actually

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 15:36:26 +0000

Whatever the interested parties may say, their neofascist/identitarian/national revolutionary/anti-communist/Nazi lineage is as clear as the Stompers/Légitime Violence/Atalante connection. The tattoos, fashion statements, musical tastes, and antics of the known Atalante members give some indication of their political orientation, and their sympathies are entirely and uncontestably “neo-Nazi.”

In September, Montréal Antifasciste published an article revealing where some of the key activists in the neofascist group Atalante Québec work. The objective was, as always, “exposing the fascists to their communities, colleagues, employers, families, and neighbours, from whom they generally hide the real nature of their activities […] because the projects they are involved in in their personal lives endanger both their immediate colleagues and the general public, most particularly racialized people, Muslims, Jews, queers, and leftists.”

Alexander Liberio : Metalhead, Nazi… Christian Orthodox Seminarian

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 14:21:02 +0000

From Montréal Antifasciste Using the pseudonym “Neuromancer,” Alex Liberio was one of the neo-Nazis active on the Discord server and in the Iron March chatroom, as well as an engaged participant in the activities of Montréal’s alt-right from early 2017 until January 2018.

In May 2018, the tenacious efforts of Montréal antifascist militants led to the exposure of a an alt-right chatroom on a Discord server meant to serve as the launching pad for the “real-life” activities of a group of militant neo-Nazis in the Montréal area. [1] A series of articles published in the Montreal Gazette forced two of the key organizers of the group into exile: Gabriel Sohier Chaput, alias “Zeiger,” and Athanasse Zafirov, alias “Date” (also sometimes “LateOfDies” or “Sam Houde/Hoydel” ). Zeiger was not only a central figure in this little Montréal-based group but was also part of an international network that developed from 2015 to 2018; notably as a prolific producer of content for The Daily Stormer website, as a moderator of the Iron March chatroom, and as a key propagandist for the explicitly National Socialist and accelerationist tendency of the alt-right movement. There is a warrant for his arrest in Québec, and he is currently in hiding. Meanwhile, “Date” (or “LateOfDies”), who seems to have been gradually radicalized, beginning in the “Pickup Artists” scene personified by the misogynist Roosh V , was a key organizer in the local and national alt-right milieu; exceptionally as a leading organizer of the pan-Canadian gathering held in Ontario in July 2017. He relocated to California in 2018, where he is comfortably ensconced in the doctoral program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, in spite of our article that exposed him and his new life.

Solidarity with antifascist prisoner David Campbell

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 14:45:49 +0000

David Campbell is an antifascist comrade who has been imprisoned for events that unfolded at the protest of a New York City far right event on January 20, 2018.

The event, “A Night For Freedom,” was organized by the misogynist and racist activist Mike Cernovich with the participation of Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes and the white nationalist Canadian podcaster Stefan Molyneux. It was part of an ongoing process of consolidating an “alt lite” political scene: i.e. racist, misogynist, and full of conspiracy theories and race and gender pseudoscience, but not actually neo-Nazi.

Julien Côté Lussier: The Hubris of a Neo-Nazi Who Hoped to Get Elected

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 14:30:25 +0000

This White Nationalist is Still Employed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Thanks to the diligent efforts of antiracist militants and a local network of antifascist sympathizers, Montréal Antifasciste is in a position to confirm that the independent candidate who ran in LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, Julien Côté (Lussier), is a longstanding white nationalist activist, an active participant in a number of alt-right (neo-Nazi) chatrooms, a key alt-right organizer in Montréal and across Canada… and an employee of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Maxime Bernier's PPC and the Far Right

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 14:57:22 +0000

Voting is not really our thing, but we do recognize that this is a time when more people are speaking about politics and policies, including many that will have a real impact on many people’s lives. This time around (not for the first time) the Conservatives are contending with a national party to their right, as Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada fields candidates across the country on a populist platform with climate denial and anti-immigrant sentiment as its key planks.

Toward a Revolutionary Environmental Movement

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 20:35:18 +0000

From CLAC

The following text was written by the CLAC, the IWW and Montréal Antifasciste and was distributed at the Montreal climate demonstration on September 27, 2019. It can also be downloaded to print here .

1. GOVERNMENTS WON’T SAVE US

Those who benefit from poisoning the land and exploiting people you care about won’t be reformed. They’ll make it seem like they hear your voices and occasionally put on grand spectacles to temporarily appease your anger. They’ll encourage you to channel your anxiety into pointless practices that only reinforce individualism. So while some of us compete to take shorter showers or to reduce our trash output, government officials, universities, and corporations shamelessly invest in more pipelines, host uncritical academic conferences, or fly jets to fancy meetings where empty promises are made.

Chasing Atalante: Where do the Fascists Work?

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 17:02:57 +0000

In December 2018, Montréal Antifasciste published a dossier on the neofascist organization Atalante , tracing the group’s history as well as the trajectory of some of the individuals at the heart of the project, specifically, members of the Québec Stomper Crew gang and the band Légitime Violence. A series of follow-up articles have focused on the activities of a number of people within Atalante’s sphere of influence.

Between National Populism and Neofascism : The State of the Far Right in Quebec in 2019

Sun, 15 Sep 2019 16:52:38 +0000

Definitions and Characteristics

As an organization that initially emerged out of experiences activists had trying to shut down far right demonstrations and events in Montreal, Montréal Antifasciste has focused on movements and organizations that promote exclusionary beliefs and policies more drastic than the “mainstream” right-wing agenda. This is obviously not a theoretically rigorous approach, just a pragmatic one, and we are aware that there are many circumstances where it might not be appropriate. Furthermore, for reasons having as much to do with capacity as anything else, we have not publicly targeted movements that currently engage in little or no public activities in our city – for instance, the anti-abortion movement or the broader Catholic Right – even though we try to keep them on our radar.

Dozens of so-called Quebec “patriots” join forces with Canadian neo-Nazis and ultra-nationalists to demonstrate against immigrants in Lacolle

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 17:32:14 +0000

On August 24, 2019, a small anti-immigrant demonstration was held at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing. The event was coordinated by the Groupe de sécurité patriotique (GSP, literally translated as “Patriotic Security Group”) and supported by an assortment of far-right fanatics, including a well-known neo-Nazi who traveled from Ontario with other Canadian ultranationalists to team up with our local “patriots.”

These demonstrators, who obviously adhere to an alternative version of reality rooted in various conspiracy theories (including the so-called “great replacement” of the Québécois/Canadian/Western/White populations by means of a “mass immigration” plan that is supposedly orchestrated by the “globalist elite” at the UN; this is the exact same racist theory that inspired the Christchurch and El Paso mass murderers), had called for a gathering at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle in order to denounce the arrival of immigrants and “illegal” refugees into Canada [i] .

Good Night Atalante

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 17:17:47 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

On the night of August 12th, 2019, three members of Atalante Quebec were attacked.

Atalante is a small group of fascists whose members have taken part in numerous attacks in recent years (starting with the knife attack at the Coop L’Agité in Quebec City). The group takes inspiration from CasaPound in Italy and Bastion social in France in an attempt to revive fascist ideology. Its members are antisemitic, homophobic, transphobic and colonialist. They shall not pass.

Vague Bleue 2: Xenophobes Suffer an Epic Defeat in Trois-Rivières

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 19:01:28 +0000

From Montréal Antifasciste

The second edition of the “Vague bleue” (Blue Wave), a marginal social movement drawing in the xenophobic and Islamophobic dregs from the national-populist milieu , took place on the 27th of July in Trois-Rivières. Since the first edition that took place in Montreal on the May 4th , Montréal Antifasciste has documented the individuals and groups that took part in the xenophobic protest, including its “security” contingent, who is little more than a collection of cranks fantasizing about beating up antifas .

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

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 13:43:35 +0000

From Montréal Antifasciste

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.

“Vague bleue,” the Last Stand of Québec’s Far-Right Soldier Wannabes

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

When the so-called Vague bleue [Blue Wave] began it seemed like a breath of fresh air for the identitarian nationalist movement, however it now appears that the organizers failed to draw the lessons of the last several years and are intent on repeating the same mistakes.

After the first edition of the Vague bleue (VB1) in Montréal, on May 4, 2019, a number of far-right voices (e.g., Alexis Cossette-Trudel, from Citoyens au Pouvoir, and Donald Proulx, of the Parti Patriote) were heard criticizing the presence of militias with paramilitary affectations at a gathering meant to be family friendly and open to all. The presence of these organizations was the sole reason Montréal antifascists mobilized in such large numbers to oppose the event. This particular point of discord opened fissures in the alleged unity of this new identitarian coalition.

Solidarity Statement with Cedar Hopperton and the Radical Queer Community in Hamilton

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Two weeks ago, the LGBTQ2 community in Hamilton, Ontario, was targeted for a unprecedented attack by a coalition of individuals from fundamentalist Christian groups and far-right groupuscules like the Wolves of Odin, the “Yellow Vests,” and the Canadian Nationalist Party.

Furthermore, the tense relationship between the radical queer and trans community and the police in Hamilton was exacerbated by the manifest indifference police showed to the far-right trolls, instead moving against the queer and trans folks who took measures to defend themselves… while giving the far-right attackers a free hand!

Solidarity with Pride Defenders, Free Cedar!

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 02:47:27 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

On June 15th, 2019 in Hamilton, “Ontario”, Pride was attacked by a group of far-right homophobes, christian fundamentalists, neo-nazis, and queer bashers. As they did in 2018, they arrived with massive homophobic signs and banners, and immediately began to scream insults and slurs. They aggressively harassed individuals, made jokes about rape, and threatened physical violence. Things quickly escalated as the bigots violently confronted people who were holding a fabric barrier in an attempt to block them from disrupting Pride. Initiated by the far-right activists a brawl broke out – queers who refused to allow their presence to go unchallenged were attacked, but fought back. Several friends were injured and required medical attention. The police did nothing during this hour-long conflict, and only stepped in at the end when there was nothing left to do. The haters knew they couldn’t sustain their presence any longer, and welcomed the police escort out of the park. After being kicked out of Pride, this same group chased and assaulted queer youth in the neighbourhood, and then went on to attack people at Toronto Pride the following week.

On Guilt & Innocence: A Response to Arrests Following Hamilton Pride

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 15:31:10 +0000

From North Shore Counter-Info

Statement by The Tower

It’s been a very intense and revealing week since Hamilton Pride. We helped our friends heal, debriefed our strategies, and circulated as much information about the people who attacked us as we could. The videos and statements have gone viral, the outrage is visceral. Homophobic white nationalists attacked Pride, they were confronted by a huge group of queers, the police did nothing and then took credit for stopping the attack, the mayor backed the police despite hundreds of witnesses, and the homophobes walk free. While the helmet-wielding maniac who smashed our faces continued his crusade in Toronto, posing for celebrity pictures with a new helmet and brutally attacking at least one more person (you can watch the video here: http://anti-racistcanada.blogspot.com/2019/06/violence-after-pegida-march-northern.html) ), the police were busy banging on the doors of known queer anarchists in Hamilton, lurking in backyards, and shaking down our entire community.

Atalante and Its Supporters—Part 2: Folk You! And the Far-Right Infiltration of Folk Music

Wed, 29 May 2019 15:47:13 +0000

Recently Montréal Antifasciste published a l ong exposé on the neo fascist organization Atalante Québec . The article discusses the group’s international ties, as well as identifying key members in Québec City and Montréal.

The section devoted to the Rock Against Communism (RAC) band Légitime Violence made it clear that for recruiting purposes this sort of organizing inevitably strives to make inroads into certain milieus, especially the countercultural music scene, metal music in particular, tattooing, politics, the universities, and the computer gaming world. As such, the work of identifying these people has only begun.

“Blue Wave” hits a wall in Montreal : antifascists force a nationalist identitarian demonstration to hide (yet again) behind the police

Tue, 07 May 2019 16:03:20 +0000

Montréal, May 6th, 2019–The Montreal police (SPVM) was out in force today to protect several hundred Quebec nationalist bigots who had been mobilized by a handful of identitarian groups.

As we reported last week , the “Vague bleue” (“Blue Wave”) was in fact organized by activists associated with Storm Alliance, the Front patriotique du Québec, and various far right keyboard warriors. In the end it was the crème de la crème of Quebec’s frustrated nationalists, wannabe militia members, and flea market patriots – not more than 400 people – who found themselves enveloped by two lines of riot cops in front of the TVA network’s building in Montreal, supposedly to support Bill 21

“Vague bleue”: The Racist, Islamophobic Fringe of Québec Nationalism Comes Out to Play

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

From Montréal-Antifasciste

What Is the “Vague bleue”?

The “Vague bleue” is a gathering that will be held on Saturday, May 4, at 2:00 p.m., at the TVA building in Montréal. It was initially announced as an extension of the weekly rallies of the so-called Québec “Yellow Vests” ( we’ve written about this in the past ), which has held rallies at the same location every Saturday since December 2018. Initially, the main objective of the “Vague bleue” was a call for a popular civic referendum to establish a Québec “citizen’s constitution”, a reworking of one of the Yellow Vest’s demands in France. Initially, the rallies were contextualized as an expression of civic patriotism by identitarian groupuscules generally known for their online and social media activities. The one thing they all share is an obsessive and hard-line attachment to an independentist project that is openly xenophobic and proactively Islamophobic, with barely disguised racism.

III% Québec Member Caught Proposing Fake Terrorist Attack

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 00:40:48 +0000

From Montréal Antifasciste

It would have been easy to miss a story that barely made the news last year – the story of Stéphane Dufresne (III% Québec, Front patriotique du Québec) and his leaked chat discussion about the need for a “fake terrorist attack,” along with his multiple allusions to having mysterious “concrete plans.” Although the story broke online early in 2018, the only response from the mainstream media was an article in the Montreal Gazette six months later. Montreal Antifasciste was able to establish a direct link between Stéphane Dufresne and a person that that was suspected by the RCMP of attempting to import weapons to Canada for terrorism-related plans. The context of this story is worrying, to say the least, and so we feel Dufresne merits a closer look.

Report-back on the March 16 Solidarity Vigil/Counter-demo

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 00:06:42 +0000

From Montréal Antifasciste

On March 16, the day after the massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand, Montréal Antifasciste organized a rally in solidarity with the victims, which was simultaneously an antiracist counter-demonstration, given the presence on the site of notorious Islamophobes, one of whom publicly “thanked” the terrorist responsible for the attack.

Here’s a report back:

The day after the white supremacist and fascist terrorist attack in New Zealand found us in a state of shock. Besides the absolutely despicable nature of the attack—the killer filmed and live streamed the murders of fifty people at two different mosques—two things jumped out at us. First, the terrorist’s manifesto indicated the influence of an “ecofascist” discourse, which calls to mind ideas advanced by Atalante Québec and other neo-fascists. Second, he paid homage to Québec terrorist Alexandre Bissonnette by inscribing Bissonnette’s name on one of his cartridge clips.

Collaborators of the CAQ

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 11:43:28 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info \\ To be shared widely in teaching milieus and beyond **

The Coalition Avenir Québec is moving forward with its ban on the wearing of religious symbols by many public sector workers.

No matter the party in power, we’re against the government telling people how to dress, as well as feeding fear and hatred of Muslims, and Muslim women in particular, under the pretext of “secularism”.

On the same day as the Christchurch massacre, an Islamophobic Québécois propagandist translates and publishes the terrorist’s manifesto

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

On Friday, March 15, 2019, less than 24 hours after the Islamophobic massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand, a Québec internet site published a French translation of the killer’s manifesto.

Why would someone be in such a rush to translate this document and amplify the killer’s message? This wasn’t a just some error that we can chalk up to a serious journalistic blunder: it was the intentional signal boosting of an Islamophobic manifesto. The translator’s online Islamophobia is extensive and well-documented.

Montréal Antifasciste: Statement of Solidarity With the Victims of the Islamophobic Attack in Christchurch

Sat, 16 Mar 2019 16:33:14 +0000

We from Montréal Antifasciste extend our solidarity to all Muslims and to all people of color and antifascists in Christchurch and across Aotearoa.

It was with horror that we learned of the massacre that took place in Christchurch on March 15th. Horror that only deepened with every new detail, as we read the assassin’s manifesto, as we learned that racists around the world – including in Aotearoa, including in Quebec – were shamelessly sharing his diy snuff film and cheering his acts.

Athan Zafirov: The Montreal Nazi Scumbag Who Thought He Could Get Away With It…

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

From Montréal-Antifasciste ( Content warning: many of the links included in this article lead to extreme racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic content. Proceed with care.)

In May of 2018, Montreal anti-fascists leaked the contents of a private neo-Nazi chat room called “Montreal Storm” (short for Montreal Stormer Book Club * ), which was active from August 2016 to January 2018, and included 55 users.

The leak made it possible to identify several members of the chat room, including Shawn Beauvais MacDonald , Vincent Bélanger Mercure and Gabriel Sohier Chaput , alias Zeiger . The latter was revealed by the Montreal Gazette to be a prolific propagandist for the most radical wing of the Alt-Right and a frequent contributor to The Daily Stormer , arguably the most influential Alt-Right/neo-Nazi website in the world in the 2016-2017 period, and to this day.

Atalante and its Sympathizers – Part 1: Heïdy Prévost, the Influencer

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Montréal Antifasciste recently published an in-depth report on the neo-fascist organization Atalante Québec. That article covers Atalante’s links to similar organizations worldwide, as well as the group’s fascist-inspired political project. It also reveals the identities of most of the group’s core members based in both Québec City and Montréal.

One part dedicated to the RAC band Légitime Violence revealed that this type of organization needs to cultivate a presence in very specific communities, namely counter-cultural musical scenes, in order to recruit new members. This is precisely the role played by Légitime Violence, whose members are also all members of Atalante and which was started by the fascist group’s leader, Raphaël Lévesque aka Raf Stomper. We have also seen that a large proportion of Atalante’s members and sympathizers are fans of Légitime Violence, as well as fans of so-called “extreme” music subgenres such as National Socialist Black Metal (NSBM).

Mobilize Against the Pro-Pipeline Truck Convoy

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 17:41:10 +0000

From Ottawa Against Fascism (Facebook)

Call to Action from Ottawa Against Fascism

Currently, pro-pipeline reactionaries are planning a truck convoy from Alberta to Ottawa. This intended show of force is meant to pressure the federal government into taking more forceful actions to get major new oil and gas pipelines built. At a time when Indigenous peoples are heroically resisting massive industrialization in the Pacific Northwest, we must fight back against this foray of far-right forces into pro-pipeline activism before it becomes a real threat.

29 January: Day of Action against Islamophobia

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 20:44:38 +0000

Almost two years ago, on January 29, 2017, Alexandre Bissonnette entered a mosque in Quebec City in Canada and in the course of a few minutes, murdered Azzeddine Soufiane, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Aboubaker Thabti, Ibrahima Barry and Abdelkrim Hassane. Nineteen others were injured, many severely.

What follows is a list of events commemorating the massacre on Tuesday, January 29, that we at Montréal Antifasciste are aware of. Please note that inclusion of an event does not necessarily indicate endorsement of the event or organizers. Thank you to those comrades who helped put this list together.

Unmasking Atalante

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 17:46:26 +0000

Raphaël Lévesque, the public face of the neofascist group Atalante, really likes the attention his little stunts get him (that’s why he has long since stopped hiding his identity). However, the central role of a single individual should not prevent us from looking at the people who gravitate to his leadership, because a movement like Atalante is nothing without the militants that give it life.

All the actions that the group has carried out in Québec City and Montréal over the past two years to increase its visibility suggest that, along with its more visible members, Atalante can count on a reserve of a few dozen individuals who support the ultranationalist cause. Despite its small numbers, the group has caught the eye of a section of the mainstream media and has made effective use of social media to promote a so-called “national revolutionary” position within Québec’s far right.

Reportback from December 8 in Ottawa

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 23:24:55 +0000

From Montréal Antifasciste

On Saturday, December 8, around two hundred right-wing sympathizers gathered on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to protest the “ Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration ,” which was in the process of being approved by acclamation at a United Nations conference in Morocco.

After over a month of planning, the demonstration itself barely filled the space in front of Parliament and was in no way a triumph by the far right. That being said, the rally was at least superficially successful in uniting a host of far-right groups of differing ideologies to announce their xenophobic opposition to the UN compact and propagate their Islamophobic and racist views. Antifascists from Québec and Ontario, despite their clearly enunciated skepticism regarding the compact, organized to oppose the far right’s attempt to claim public space.

A Key La Meute Militant Founds a Neo-Nazi Organization... Then Changes His Mind a Few Hours Later

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 14:45:33 +0000

From Montreal Antifasciste

“Welcome to the official Blood & Honour page—the Québec division of the nationalist identitairian secular movement for a National Socialist autocracy.”

We were shocked to read this introduction to a new Facebook page that appeared on Saturday, November 3 in the early afternoon, announcing the formation of a “Québec Division” of the openly neo-Nazi “Blood & Honour”:

What is Blood & Honour?

Blood & Honour, an international neo-Nazi organization founded in the UK in 1987, takes its name from the Hitler Youth slogan Blut und Ehre, and from a song of that title by the white power band Skrewdriver. Initially rooted in the Rock Against Communism scene, Blood & Honour sections have sprung across the planet over the years. Blood and Honour remains a largely bonehead organization fully committed to neo-Nazi principles and regularly involved in violent actions.

Bryan Trottier: the racist, misogynist leader of the English-Canada branch of La Meute

Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:30:30 +0000

From It’s Going Down Montreal Book Launch for The Antifa Comic Book, by Gord Hill https://ia601504.us.archive.org/31/items/info_itsgoingdown_Zig/zig.mp3

In a desperate attempt to influence the recent Quebec elections, La Meute has been popping up in the last few weeks with small, decentralized actions. Though the mainstream media has been giving them far too much attention for their size, the extreme-right group’s actions haven’t gained much popular support, in stark contradiction to their leader Sylvain ”Maikan” Brouillette’s slogan: “40,000 members, 40,000 votes”.

It’s within this context that, on the 15th of September, Steeve “L’artiss” Charland (Maikan’s potential rival) led a “mobile protest” which was, in reality, simply a bunch of cars driving around with La Meute flags or stickers. The meet-up for the dozen or so La Meute members was Oka, right next to the Mohawk community of Kanesatake. Upon their arrival, members of the Kanesatake community mobilized to kick them out, subjecting them to boos and insults as they left, and in so doing, refusing to allow their community to be used in the way the extreme-right group have been attempting to use them during the past few months.

Colonialism, Democracy, & Fascism: Conversation with Gord Hill

Sat, 06 Oct 2018 15:24:19 +0000

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Cover photo: Italian anarchist partisan fighters celebrate the defeat of fascism.

In this episode of the It’s Going Down podcast, we talk with long time indigenous author, artist, and organizer, Gord Hill, who for decades has written under the pen name, Zig Zag. While Gord is perhaps best known for documenting indigenous struggles across the so-called Americas, in his newest work for Arsenal Pulp Press , he takes on the history of fascism and resistance to it over the past 100 years in, The Antifa Comic Book: 100 Years of Fascism and Antifa Movements, which also features a forward by Mark Bray .

Postering against Jérôme Blanchet-Gravel

Sun, 16 Sep 2018 15:38:07 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

Jérôme Blanchet-Gravel is a fucking pig.

It’s been a few months of hearing about the pretentious, racist, and misogynist young essayist Jérôme Blanchet-Gravel. Whether for his contributions as a “writer” or as a student at Laval University and Ottawa. He says disgusting things, both in the public sphere, as in his articles for reactionary media Causeur and Sputnik, but also in private, as shown by the screenshots that have leaked in recent weeks and been published on many FB pages.

Toronto: Report-back from September 8 Anti-fascist Action

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 16:03:15 +0000

Anonymous submission to North Shore Counter-Info

On August 8, the racist far-right group PEGIDA and their friends the Proud Boys, Soldiers of Odin, Northern Guard, and Canadian Combat Coalition got together for one of their now regular meetups and public displays of racism and Islamophobia. This time, it seemed they were particularly interested in using the upcoming anniversary of 9/11 to forward their anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant message. This is one individual’s report back on the day; ARC also has a good timeline and photos.

The Far Right: A Visual Guide

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 15:58:17 +0000

From Montréal-Antifasciste

[Click on the image to download the poster]

Good Morning Racists!

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 13:43:52 +0000

From the Emma Goldman Collective

This past August 25th, the racist group La Meute organized a “visibility action” with all its clans. No doubt sick of demonstrating while trapped in parking lots, this time Clan 02 decided to focus on its strengths: cars, and organized a float parade. From Chicoutimi to Saint-Félicien, passing though Jonquière, Saint-Bruno and Roberval along the way, the wolf cubs traveled in the comfort of their convoy of cars, decorated with spray paint and painter’s tape.

From Embers: Anti-Fascism in Quebec

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 17:25:16 +0000

From From Embers

An interview with an anti-fascist based in Montreal. We discuss the history of the Quebec far right dating back to the 1930s, anti-fascist resistance in 1990s Montreal, and the contemporary context, including an important victory against La Meute on July 1, 2018.

July 1: Antifascist Victory

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 02:10:08 +0000

On June 23rd, the addresses of a La Meute activist and another from Storm Alliance who live in Hochelaga were revealed and they were paid a little visit.

On July 1st, La Meute, Storm Alliance, and a new group called “Independence Day” planned to converge in downtown Montreal and march against “illegal” immigration, in what La Meute promised would be a demonstration of “historic” proportions. Thanks to a coordinated response from local antifascists, antiracists, anarchists, communists, Indigenous and anticolonial activists, migrant justice groups, and concerned citizens, what it ended up being was a historically colossal failure. This was La Meute’s first attempt at a demonstration in Montreal since March 4, 2017 – and this time, they weren’t able to parade their vicious, hateful rhetoric through the streets.

We Promised Them Hell, They Got a Taste of Hell: Action Report

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 13:40:12 +0000

Anonymous Submission to MTL Counter-info

Before the weekend of action

June 27th, CRAM shared the claim for the painting of the Maisonneuve and Macdonald monuments.

The weekend of action in photos

A nice victory – we promised them hell, they got a taste of hell.

Far Right Troll Spreads Fake News about Antifascist Attack (which never happened)

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 15:52:15 +0000

From Montréal-Antifasciste

A particularly disgusting piece of “fake news” was being shared on social media following to two far-right rallies that occurred in Montreal on July 1st.

While La Meute and Storm Alliance were immobilized by antifascists, a smaller march called by the Front Patriotique du Québec marched from Carré St-Louis to the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Within hours of the FPQ march ending, a story began to be shared in their networks – and also by members of La Meute, Storm Alliance, and other such groups – about a brutal attack on three Indigenous people who had been trying to join the FPQ march. According to this story, antifascists spotted these would-be Patriots at an unnamed metro station and beat them so badly they had to be hospitalized:

Anti-Fascists Shut Down La Meute

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

_From_ subMedia

On July 1st, far right group La Meute planned to hold their “largest and best rally ever” in Montreal. Anti-fascists outnumbered them, surrounded them, and prevented them from marching by keeping them confined to a single block.

A Historic Failure for La Meute

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

From Xavier Camus

The leader of La Meute – Sylvain « Maikan » Brouillette – promised “the best demo in its history”. It was a monumental fiasco:

(1) While La Meute claims to have 60,000 members, the exact number in the real world is more like 150… Buses came from as far away as the Saguenay. Adding up all their most devoted fans, La Meute was unable to gather more than 200 people, which includes their allies in Storm Alliance and Independence Day. What a shame for Mr. Brouillette! (How will Mr. Brouillette continue lying about the real membership of La Meute?)

No racists in our neighbourhood, no neighbourhoods for racists! Hochelaga resists.

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 03:16:12 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

Since the last boneheads (neonazi skinheads) were run out of the neighbourhood around 2008, the neighbourhood of Hochelaga had once again become a little paradise for bums like us, for punks, for counter-culture overall. It is a multicultural neighbourhood where we feel good, where everyone speaks to each other easily and where there is a lot of solidarity…

Since the return and the multiplication of racist groups in Quebec since 2016, our neighbourhood hasn’t been immune but continues to resist and hold itself well!

Welcome to Hell: Call to Action June 30 and July 1

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 22:30:54 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

On July 1, hate groups like La Meute and Storm Alliance have announced a demonstration in Montreal against illegal immigration. Not a good move, because we do not like racists and we do not like July 1st, the colonial Canada Day.

The racists forget where they are about to step foot … Montreal is against racists and we will remind them. It will take more than dozens of riot police to allow them to demonstrate.

Endorsement and call for an antifascist contingent: Status For All March (16/06/2018)

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 16:40:17 +0000

Since 2004, our comrades from Solidarity Across Borders have organized an annual “Status For All” march to demand an end to all deportations and detentions, as well as to support open borders, regularization for all immigrants and refugees, and the creation of a real “solidarity city” in Montreal.

As antifascists, we wholeheartedly support these demands – we reject all colonial and imperialist borders, and want all migrants crossing them to be treated with respect and dignity. We hold dear the cause of migrant justice, especially in our current political climate of a rising far right, and of increasing normalization of anti-immigrant and islamophobic rhetoric in our mainstream political parties and media. In this context, it is more important than ever for us to have a large presence in the fight for migrant justice, in Montreal and elsewhere.

Antifascist Action at the Quebec/US Border

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 16:34:14 +0000

From It’s Going Down

June 3rd, 2018 – Faith Goldy had called a rally at the Roxham border (U.S/ Quebec) attracting roughly 100 far-right groups and individuals from Ontario and Quebec, as well as a few stragglers from as far away as Alberta and Nova Scotia. This is the first time this sort of collusion between provincial groups has ever been observed at the border here.

Faith Goldy is currently one of Canada’s most prominent far-Right internet personalities. She appeals to both populist forces concerned primarily about “illegal immigration” and “the Muslim threat,” as well as to actual fascists and neo-Nazis. Not only has she not eschewed the latter, she has made a point of pandering to them, i.e. repeating and defending the 14 words (a neo-Nazi slogan), joking with people from the Daily Stormer in Charlottesville, and being an avid defender of “identitarianism” in Canada, including promoting the Alt-Right Identity Canada group. More on Goldy here .

Faith Goldy’s Racist Pals

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 19:51:51 +0000

_From_ subMedia

Alt-Right blogger Faith Goldy, called for a demo at Roxham Road, a site where migrants cross irregularly into Canada to escape Trump’s America. While claiming that she and her friends are simply against “illegal immigration”, this video reveals the racist and white supremacist character of many of those who attended Goldy’s march.

Faith Goldy: Innocent “Journalist” or pro-Nazi Propagandist?

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 16:08:27 +0000

On May 19, anti-immigrant protesters descended on the U.S./Canada border following a call by Storm Alliance, one of Quebec’s main far right organizations. Due to the Safe Third Country Agreement between the Canadian and U.S. governments, over the past 18 months the border in Quebec, especially at Roxham Road near Hemmingford, has become a major crossing for refugees fleeing the Trump regime. One consequence of this is the far right seeking to turn this human drama into a political flashpoint from which to profit. This was the third time that Storm Alliance had mobilized to the border in this way, and the third time antifascists and antiracists from Hemmingford, Montréal, and the Eastern Townships mobilized to counter them.

Report-back on the Demo Against the "March for Life"

Tue, 29 May 2018 04:09:45 +0000

Anonymous Submission to MTL Counter-info

Each May, thousands of people meet in Ottawa for the “March for Life,” an initiative of organisations opposed to free choice and free information concerning the voluntary termination of pregnancy. This year, it was on May 10th that the anti-choice demonstrators took the streets of the capital city to demonstrate against the rights of women (and every person with a uterus) to control their own body, to have the right to an abortion. The Riposte Feministe organised a Montreal contingent to join the counter demonstration with feminist groups from Outaouais and Ottawa. We were about 50 people leaving from Berri-UQAM station that morning, caffeinated with indignation.

Soldiers of Odin in Montreal: The Police are (Still) Protecting the Nazis!

Sun, 27 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

From Montréal-Antifasciste

On Saturday, May 12, there was a demonstration in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie neighbourhood of Montréal to publicly denounce the presence of Gabriel Sohier Chaput, a neo-Nazi ideologue with close ties to Daily Stormer, one of the most influential sites for neo-Nazi propaganda in the world today. Antifascists in Montréal revealed that Sohier Chaput, whose primary pseudonym is “Zeiger,” lived until recently at 6308 rue Fabre. Zeiger was also the key coordinator of a so-called “Stormer Book Club” in Montréal , a social club for young men who identify with the neo-Nazi alt-right.

Another Day, Another Doxx

Sun, 20 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

Over the last week, since the revelation that Daily Stormer honcho “Zeiger” lived in Montreal and the private forum of the neonazi “Montreal Stormer Book Club” has been leaked, hundreds of posters have gone up in Montreal to expose these nazi scumbags. Some posters contain the previously-unpublished addresses of Vincent B é langer Mercure(4350 Melrose Avenue) and Philippe Gendron(6735 Rue Fabre).

Here are the files you can print and post yoursleves. But be careful, and watch out for the fash - some have been spotted running around their neighbourhoods removing posters of themselves.

Two Queen Victoria Statues Vandalised in Montreal

Sat, 19 May 2018 16:40:42 +0000

From subMedia

Original anonymous communiqué by the Henri Paul Anti-Monarchy Brigade, shared with subMedia:*

In advance of colonial ‘Victoria Day’ holiday, two Queen Victoria statues are (again) vandalized in Montreal

Racist and imperialist legacy of the British Monarchy denounced

May 18, 2018, Montreal – Days before the outdated and insulting Queen Victoria holiday, two landmark statues to Queen Victoria in Montreal were vandalized last night.

A Canada-Wide Callout to Track Down the Alt-Right Nazi Scumbags Next Door

Sat, 05 May 2018 19:18:58 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

The Montreal Storm leaks constitute the largest single reveal of activities of the neo-Nazi wing of the alt-right in Canada. What’s more, it looks like Montreal’s (pathetically small and inept) Daily Stormer “book club” may be the largest in Canada. That said, we know that it’s not the only one.

Prior to the Daily Stormer closing its book club forum down, it was clear that there were attempts to start similar neo-Nazi cells across Canada, from Atlantic Canada to British Columbia. Neo-nazis from across Canada attended the “Leafensraum” meet-up organizer by Gabriel Sohier-Chaput and others in 2017. Quebeckers were not the only Canadians to attend the Unite the Right hatefest in Charlottesville in August 2017. Fliers, posters, and stickers with identical design and wording have appeared in different cities and provinces.

Montréal… Meet Your Local Alt-Right Nazi Scumbags

Sat, 05 May 2018 16:36:34 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info Over the past year, Montreal antifascists have identified individuals, and finally a small and pathetic scene, of men in their 20s and 30s, active online but trying to establish an “in real life” presence for neo-Nazism in our city. Occasionally operating as “Alt-Right Montreal” or ARM, or Arm and Hammer, these individuals are also linked to Generation Identity (rebranded as ID Canada), the phantom Northern Order, and other “groups” in the city. This is the first of a series of reports on this milieu. It includes screenshots from the neo-nazis’ private chatroom, including many that we ourselves find traumatic.

Tower Defence: Holding Space Against the Far-right

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 16:37:31 +0000

Anonymous submission to Northshore Counter-Info

On Sunday, March 25th, various far-right groups from South-Western Ontario organized what they called a “Patriot Walk” up Locke St. in Hamilton. This was ostensibly a show of support for small businesses on the street who had their facades shattered during a mini-riot a couple of weeks earlier . The far-right hoped to capitalize on bourgeois outrage in Hamilton to put forward their ultra-nationalist form of anti-leftism, but their internal disfunction and overall shittiness, along with antifascists in the area being on point, led them to failure at every step of the way. First, their internal discussions in preparation for the march were leaked on Anti-Racist Canada the week before their event was scheduled to take place. This included a bunch of typical crap about how tough they are, but also developed into a discussion of paying a visit to The Tower, Hamilton’s anarchist social space, that had already been attacked several times in the weeks following the riot on and around Locke. Their plan for Locke seemed to be to walk up the street en masse buying things at shops while not flying their more obviously fascist symbols, just sticking with the Canadian flag. For The Tower though, they seemed more intent on initiating a confrontation.

Solidarity with Montpellier: No fascists on campus

Sat, 31 Mar 2018 17:24:40 +0000

From BASH-UQAM ( Facebook link )

Antifascist comrades from several Montreal campuses joined together recently to express their solidarity with students in struggle, in Montpellier and elsewhere, who are facing the fascist scourge.

Whether on our campuses or in the street, fascists are not welcome.

Fuck fascists everywhere

Sat, 31 Mar 2018 17:12:31 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

During the night of March 18th, as a response to the Soldiers of Odin going out to promote themselves during the Saint Patrick Day’s parade, we destroyed the car of the provincial president of the S.O.O., Kathy Latulipe. We found her gray HHR Chevrolet, (licence plate W69 K2M), parked in a small street in the Villeray neighbourhood. We painted “FUCK S.O.O.” on the side, smashed out all the windows, and slashed all the tires.

March 25: Anti-Racist, Family-Friendly Demonstration in Quebec City! Get on the Bus From Montreal!

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 16:43:48 +0000

Anti-Racist, Family-Friendly Demonstration in Quebec City! Sunday, March 25, 2018

Get on the Bus From Montreal! Buses leave at 9am and return in the evening.

Community groups in Quebec City are organizing a family-friendly Demonstration Against Racism this coming March 25, part of a Festival Against Racism. Quebec City has been a center of activity by anti-immigrant, racist, far-right groups and protests, but local community groups continue to take to the streets to denounce racism, hatred and intolerance. Let’s join them in solidarity and support, as part of a Quebec-wide movement.

A few notes on Atalante’s postering campaign in Montreal

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 05:28:21 +0000

__From Montréal-Antifasciste

A big deal was made last weekend (January 20–21) about a tawdry postering campaign in Montréal that targeted an array of political figures and local militants.Without downplaying the significance of the action, we believe that it is important to not blow things out of proportion and to identify the people involved.

Rumours have been circulating for a while about plans by the far-right groupuscule Atalante, which has been active in Québec City for years now, to launch a “new” chapter in Montréal. The feeble overnight display of January 20–21 was meant to be this notorious new chapter’s coming out party.

“Unis pour les Démunis” Flares Out

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 18:09:09 +0000

From Montréal-Antifasciste

When the first dozen or so of us arrived at the far-right charity event, Unis pour les Démunis, at Place Émilie-Gamelin, on Saturday the December 9, at around 10:00 a.m., the clothing giveaway, accompanied by coffee and snacks, was underway. Although by this point Storm Alliance had withdrawn its support, apparently the result of a pissing contest between Seana Lee Roy, the SA Montréal president, and her vice president. Posts on Roy’s Facebook page suggest that she has left Storm Alliances taking Unis pour les Démunis with her—charity is her passion, she tells us. Whatever the truth may be, tensions cannot be running all that high, as Roy’s event drew a fair number of volunteers from Storm Alliance and La Meute.

December 5th and 8th in MTL

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 07:53:42 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

Guillaume Beauchamp and Maxime Morin (aka “DMS”) publicly declared war on antifascists in Quebec, and in Montreal.

These far-right fanboys have threatened to find us and destroy us. Big mistake.

On December 5th, we had a friendly run-in with you in the streets. Judging by how fast you ran away from us, we thought you had understood our warning the first time.

On the night of December 8th we paid you a visit at your home, 2440 Chambly street, apartment #1, in Hochelaga. We had the pleasure of putting up a few posters around your place, just to let your neighbours know that they live next to some neo-fascist rats.

TVA’s Fake News and the manufacturing of Islamophobia (continued…)

Sun, 17 Dec 2017 18:26:55 +0000

From Montréal-Antifasciste

As we reported previously, following a dubious December 12th story on TVA news about women being removed from a work site in Côte des Neiges allegedly due to requests from a nearby mosque, the Islamophobic far right in Quebec mobilized . Just as quickly as the wave of racism crested, however, the initial story collapsed, as it became clear that either the journalist had made the whole thing up, or she had been duped by Islamophobes without doing any factchecking herself. In an anemic and half-assed statement made during the 10pm news on December 14th, the TVA reporter blamed the confusion on an « imbroglio between the people concerned », neither apologizing nor taking any responsibility at all for this epic fiasco. It was only at the noontime news on December 15th – that is to say, three days after the initial news report – that TVA finally retracted the story and apologized, all the while still not acknowledging the extremenly toxic effect that this massive howler had had on the social climate.

TVA’s fake news and the islamophobic frenzy on the far right

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 05:15:31 +0000

Tuesday, December 12, TVA Nouvelles reported that female construction workers doing roadwork outside a the Ahl-Ill Bait mosque in Côte-des-Neiges had been reassigned to work in other areas, following a request to this effect from the mosque’s directors. TVA initially claimed to have a copy of a work contract to this effect. If true, this would have been both sexist and illegal.

Within hours of this news report, there was a wave of outrage on social media. In no time at all, well-known far right and Islamophobic personalities were denouncing not only the Ahl-Ill Bait mosque, but Muslims in general, as well as various politicians who were apparently failing to take a stand quickly enough, not to mention the Fédération des Femmes du Québec, which was accused of remaining silent due to the fact that its recently elected president, Gabrielle Bouchard, is a trans woman (and as such, apparently, indifferent to sexism).

Balancesheet on the November 25 Counterdemonstration

Sun, 03 Dec 2017 20:02:43 +0000

From Montréal-Antifasciste

The joint La Meute/Storm Alliance demonstration of November 25, 2017 promised to be the largest far-right mobilization in Québec since the 1930s. The organizers anticipated a thousand people turning out to denounce the Commission publique contre le racisme systémique, which, ironically, the Liberal government cancelled on October 18. [1] At the end of the day, even the two groups and their allies from the nationalist groupuscules, the Three Percenters, the Northern Guard, and the boneheads from the Soldiers of Odin and Atalante only collectively reached half that number (300 to 400 max). Nonetheless, this mobilization could still mark a qualitative and symbolic watershed for the fascist drift in the province—a drift that police forces are more openly supporting, and in which many “mainstream” political actors are complicit.

The Gunnies and the Far Right

Sat, 02 Dec 2017 21:16:19 +0000

From Montréal-Antifasciste The following is the complete text from a flier antifascists were planning to distribute at a counterdemonstration against a group that had planned to hold a pro-gun rally at the Place du 6 décembre (the memorial to victims of the 1989 antifeminist Polytechnique massacre, in which 14 women were killed) on Saturday, December 2nd. This rally has now been moved outside of Montreal, and as a result the planned counterdemonstrations have been canceled. We still feel it is worthwhile to share this text, which explains the connections between this rally – and the « gunnies » — with the Quebec far right. A more in-depth text on this subject will be coming soon.

Maxime Fiset and His Centre Do Not Speak for Us!

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 17:01:02 +0000

As antifascist and anti-racist militants, some of whom have been active for decades in the struggle against the far right in Montréal, in Québec, and elsewhere in Canada, we wish to absolutely disassociate ourselves from the recent statements made in the media by Maxime Fiset, spokesman for the Centre de prévention de la radicalisation menant à la violence (CPRMV), as well as from the overall position he has staked out.

Quebec City Police Protect Racists

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 04:48:32 +0000

From sub.Media

On November 25, the largest far-right demonstration in Quebec since the 1930s took place in the provincial capital, including right-wing militias and the openly Neo-Nazi group Atalante Quebec. Riot police violently repressed anti-fascist counter-protesters in order to allow the far-right to march, and 44 comrades were arrested.

Thousands Attend Anti-fascist Demo in Montreal

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 21:39:43 +0000

From sub.Media

Anti-racists in Montreal have built a coalition of over 150 groups in the struggle against fascism, and on Sunday they staged their first demonstration—a massive, festive “fuck you” to nazis. The night before the demo, some people redecorated a statue of John A. MacDonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister and an architect of indigenous genocide.

For more info go to Montreal Antifasciste’s website.

November 12th, Against Hate or Just Racism?

Mon, 13 Nov 2017 17:01:13 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

On November 12th, 2017 a demonstration of about 5,000 people snaked through Montreal under the banner “large demonstration against hate and racism”. This was a good show of force, and tactically an important step on the part of the organizers in a context where far-right groups have been able to match or out-mobilize anti-racists at times in recent months. The demonstration was clearly organized under a left coalition type of model, and as a result, suffered from some rather questionable populist language in their mobilizing call-out. Some of us were a bit concerned about a possible drift towards the de-contextualizing and delegitimizing of the concept of “hatred” which could likely come around to bite anarchists and other radicals in the ass in the future.

Critical Report on Bill 62, Adopted by the Québec National Assembly on October 18, 2017

Thu, 26 Oct 2017 19:16:48 +0000

Over the last few days, you’ve surely become aware of the controversial bill proposed in Québec. Bill 62 seeks to protect the state’s much vaunted “religious neutrality” and is the latest move in a long standing political debate about secularism and religious accommodations—a debate that particularly impacts Muslim women.

On October 18, 2017, the nightmare became reality: Bill 62 on religious neutrality was adopted by the National Assembly by 66 to 51 margin.1 This report provides a critical overview of the law and its implications, as well as its historical roots and its place in a larger social context, specifically focussing on the Islamophobic discourse advanced by the mainstream political parties in Québec, as well as placing it within the framework of the increasing normalization of the rhetoric and mobilizing of far-right Islamophobic and anti-immigrant groups across North America since early 2017. We also think it essential that the issue be approached from a feminist viewpoint—as an example among many others of the restrictions and controls women are subjected to by the state, particularly racialized and Muslim women.

Racist Robert Proulx Store's Targeted For a Second Time

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:58:43 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

Hey Robert Proulx,

We broke the windows of your storefront. We guess you don’t have to clean any more paint or posters off of them now. We’ve hated you and your involvement in “La Meute” for a while, and thanks for the communique from when your store was attacked on the 30th of September, we finally got your address.

On October 16th, we rolled up to your store at 6117 rue Belanger and broke your windows. We were happy to see that someone else had spray-painted “RACISTE” in red on the sidewalk directly in the front of your store. Apparently, lots of people hate you, Proulx.

ANTI-RACIST ALERT! November, 25 — National Assembly, Québec City

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 13:15:52 +0000

Mark your calendars: Montreal mobilization to Quebec City on November 25

Oppose racism and Islamophobia! Support migrants and people of colour!

(please share this callout widely with Montreal-area networks)

Two far-right, anti-immigrant groups — the Storm Alliance and La Meute — are co-organizing a rally in Quebec City on Saturday, November 25 at 2pm at the National Assembly. Since the Ste-Foy mosque massacre in January, these Islamophobic groups have escalated their public presence and activities.Their upcoming rally in Quebec City represents a crucial and necessary moment for anti-racists to come together to oppose racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and growing fascism.

Vandalism of the store of Robert Proulx, member of La Meute

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 21:21:38 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

In the early morning of September 30, with the help of a fire extinguisher filled with paint, we repainted brown the exterior façade of JS RP Tech Informatique, owned by Robert Proulx, located at 6117 Bélanger. Robert Proulx is an active member of La Meute, involved with security.

Contrary to what they chant in the media, La Meute is an Islamophobic and racist group, using a media strategy to spread far-right, anti-immigrant, conservative ideologies, and which promotes white supremacy. Almost all public personalities of the right-wing in Quebec are members. Its idols being politicians like Marine le Pen and, Donald Trump. La Meute, with populist discourses that democratically demand the “freedom of expression”, revives the currents of the far-right in a frightening way. Several members are inspired by figures advocating for racist murder and the return of slavery, such as the KKK or Adolf Hitler.

Storm Alliance at the border: “We’re not racists, but …”

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 02:18:24 +0000

From Montreal Antifasciste

Is a racist who knows they’re a racist more, or less, racist than a racist who doesn’t know that they’re a racist? It’s a pertinent question, since it seems that a trait almost universally widespread among racists is to energetically deny their racism, a posture epitomized by the classic phrase “I’m not a racist, but …”

The participants in the anti-fascist demo at Lacolle on September 30 were a bit taken aback by the cheerful response of the Storm Alliance demonstrators to the slogan [♫ Tout le monde… déteste les racistes! ♫] (tr: “everyone hates racists!”). The several dozen older folks, white as the snow, who had come from the four corners of Québec to protest “illegal immigration” and “Trudeau government policies,” began to chant the same slogan back at the anti-racist protesters with remarkable enthusiasm.

"Fascism is imperialist repression turned inward": Decolonize Graffiti

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 03:41:59 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

“…fascism is imperialist repression turned inward” -Cope (2015) as quoted in Kesīqnaeh

Following Saturday’s “Open The Borders” demo at the Lacolle Border , the message “DECOLONIZE” appeared along a canal wall in an affluent southwest Montreal neighborhood. This piece provides an opportunity to explicitly outline some links between the ongoing struggle of decolonization across Turtle Island and anti-fascist action. In Fascism & Anti-Fascism: A Decolonial Perspective , Kesīqnaeh makes some insightful links to these struggles while questioning the significance of fascism to Indigenous peoples already combatting colonial violence. For the sake of brevity, a few direct quotations are provided below:

Antifa Block Far-Right at US/Canada Border

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

From Sub.media

On September 30th, anti-fascists converged to the Lacolle “US/Canada” border crossing to support migrants and to oppose far-right group Storm Alliance. The group claims they are not racist but many in their ranks are known white nationalists and neo-nazis.

For more info visit https://montreal-antifasciste.info/en/

Another Head on the Far-Right Hydra: Anti-fascist poster circulating in Hamilton

Sat, 23 Sep 2017 19:43:55 +0000

From The Hamilton Institute

This antifascist poster has been turning up in the streets of Hamilton the past few days. It offers some analysis of the group Storm Alliance that will be holding rallies in various cities and at the border on September 30th. A local group of far-right losers decided to call themselves Storm Alliance and to try to hold a rally in town that day as well, but they quickly took down their event page and it’s unclear if the local event will even happen. Still, it’s concerning that they are trying to hide their racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric behind language about poverty and mental health, a sensitive subject in this city like in many others. It includes a link to a page where you can leave tips about far-right activity in your neighbourhood. Full text of the poster below.

Maxime Morin (aka DMS/DaMcLuv) and His Racist Agenda

Sat, 23 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

From Montreal-Antifasciste

Recently, a video has been posted on Facebook and YouTube entitled La vérité sur les Antifas, Jaggi Singh et la Corruption de l’Université Concordia #StopQPIRG. It was initially shared on the Facebook page of “DMSQ”, before it was taken down, but it remains up on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8JDmapM6uc

Such a video would not normally be worth mentioning, except that it has been linked to on “clickbait” style websites like “La Clique du Plateau” and “Thug Life Quebec”, and as such has gained a larger audience than most similar anti-left media interventions.

Storm Alliance Factsheet

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 17:50:13 +0000

What is the Storm Alliance?

The Storm Alliance is an anti-immigrant organization that has been active in Quebec since 2016, when it broke off from the Soldiers of Odin, a more openly racist group. Storm Alliance is led by former Soldiers of Odin leader Dave Tregget, who has explained that his goal is to unite the far right while softening its image. [1]

How many members does Storm Alliance have and what do they do?

The Storm Alliance claims to have 3,000members across Canada, but this figure really only represents those who have joined its facebook groups. In actual fact, the group has difficulty getting more than a few dozen of its own members out for any of its events. Their biggest event to date was July 1 at Roxham Road, in Hemmingford, where they gathered to intimidate people crossing the border. Their numbers that day were boosted by the anti-Muslim far right group La Meute, who had agreed to cooperate with them on that occasion, and still they were only 60-70.

Wolves Don’t Like the Rain: Bad Blood Between La Meute and Storm Alliance

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 16:53:54 +0000

La Meute and Storm Alliance are two organizations which claim not to be racist, but which find their raison d’être in expressing (and spreading) fear of immigrants and Muslims, i.e. of “the other”, within Quebec. Both organizations are undemocratic, hierarchical, and operate within the far right range of politics that we could term national populist. Both aim their message primarily at conservative white francophone Québecois, of a similar set of social demographics (what one might think of as “good ol’ boys” and the women around them).

Solidarity with the Anti-Fascist Activists Arrested in Québec City!

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 15:49:57 +0000

We would like to extend our unconditional solidarity to individuals in Quebec City who were recently arrested, in relation to allegations surrounding the antifascist mobilization on August 20th. We do not know any details beyond what we have seen in the media, but it is clear to us that these arrests are intended by the police and Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume to intimidate antifascists and stifle our resistance to the far right. To those arrested, and all others who may be targeted, we say: stand strong and let us know what we can do to help.

Interview with Montreal anti-fascist organizer: The stakes are high, and we don’t intend to sit idly by as things get worse.

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 03:24:11 +0000

MTL Counter-info sent some questions to some people involved in ongoing anti-fascist activities, in an effort to address common misconceptions about these struggles. This is what they had to say. Can you tell me about antifascist organizing in Montreal and what it’s role is, especially now?

Antifascist activism has a long history in Montreal, going back to the 1980s. Prior to 2017, though, things had been relatively quiet for a number of years, most activity not occurring in the public eye.

It wasn’t just McGregor who got beat last Saturday

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 15:54:18 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

Last week, a new racist group tried to publicly organize for the first time. Their name is Wolves of Odin[1. Editor’s note: From the Wolves of Odin facebook page - “FOUNDED IN THE WINTER OF 2016, WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE DEFENSE OF OUR CITIZENS AND WAY OF LIFE. ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED AS A LOCAL GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS HERE IN MONTREAL, OUR MEMBERSHIP HAS GROWN INTERNATIONALLY, WITH REQUESTS FOR SATELLITE GROUPS OUTSIDE CANADA. THE W.O.O. WAS ORIGINALLY FOUNDED IN RESPONSE TO THE GROWING IMMIGRATION CRISIS THAT IS BURNING OUT OF CONTROL IN MANY PARTS OF EUROPE. WE HERE AT W.O.O. UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS SEEN AS A NECESSITY TO AID OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS THAT HAVE FLED THEIR WAR TORN COUNTRIES. MANY WERE WELCOMED AND PROVIDED FOR, YET MANY HAVE FORCED THEIR WAY IN UNDER THE GUISE OF REFUGEE STATUS, AND MANY MORE HAVE OVERWELMED THE UNDERSTAFFED BORDER CROSSINGS IN MANY COUNTRIES. CRIME RATES HAVE SKYROCKETED UNDER WAVES OF FOREIGN IMMIGRATION, AND THE FACE OF EUROPE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED FOREVER. IN MANY PLACES OF EUROPE, IT HAS BECOME EXTREMELY UNSAFE FOR THE LOCAL, ORIGINAL INHABITANTS. REPORTS OF THEFTS, ASSAULTS, VANDALISM, RAPE, AND CHILD ABUSE, HAVE BEEN ACREDITED TO IMMIGRATION, IN WHAT WERE ONCE PEACEFUL COMMUNITIES, ATTEMPTING TO DO THEIR PART TO ALEVIATE HUMAN SUFFERING. WE REMAIN STEADFAST IN OUR BELIEF THAT THERE ARE MANY LEGITIMATE REFUGEES FLEEING THE ATROCITIES THAT THEY HAVE FACED IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES, YET WITH THESE LEGITIMATE REFUGEES, COME MANY THAT WISH TO IMPOSE THEIR LAWS AND IDEOLOGY UPON US AS CANADIANS, AND OTHER CITIZENS OF GREAT COUNTRIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. WE HAVE OUR OWN LAWS AND SOCIETIES. WE ARE PROUD OF OUR OWN RICH AND NOBLE HISTORIES. OUR ANCESTORS FOUGHT FOR OUR WAY OF LIFE, AND MANY GAVE THEIR LIVES SO THAT WE MAY LIVE FREE, SO THAT OUR FAMILIES AND FUTURE GENERATIONS MAY LIVE FREE. BY REFUSING TO YIELD, WE ARE ANSWERING THE CALL TO HELP KEEP THE LIGHT OF THE WEST BURNING BRIGHTLY. WE ARE THE WOLVES OF ODIN, AND WE WILL HOLD THE LINE”], not to be confused with Soldiers of Odin. They organized a small BBQ in a park in the west of the city. After eating and drinking, they decided to go watch the highly-anticipated boxing match.

Quebec City: If you’re not anti-fascist, what are you then?

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 14:20:24 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

Québec City, September 5, 2017 — Earlier today a group of anti-racist/anti-fascist organizers dropped a series of banners. This action is a part of an ongoing and decentralized struggle against Québec right-wing extremists and white nationalists promoting xenophobic, anti-immigrant and racist views. The banners, displayed prominently along major arteries during the morning commute, read “Si tu n’es pas anti-fasciste, t’es quoi alors?” ( Translation: “If you’re not anti-fascist, what are you then?”)

Refugees Welcome: statement from Jaggi Singh

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 18:20:53 +0000

Hi everyone - I’m back in Montreal after two days and one night in the Quebec City police jail. Thank you to everyone for their solidarity and support, particularly folks who attended court (both inside and outside) and for the various people – Arij, Emilie, Enrico, Rich – who provided legal support in different ways. Thanks for everyone in Quebec City who mobilized to attend court (including an old anti-Summit of the Americas 2001 comrade who testified on my behalf) and to folks in Montreal who were organizing behind-the-scenes (including the folks at Montreal Antifasciste who wrote this useful communique .

No Borders: No One Is Illegal

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 17:40:52 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

This past weekend, a group of Montreal anti-racist organizers and graf writers collaborated in an effort to remind people living in Montreal and throughout Québec that no one is illegal: there is no such thing as illegal migration. The piece went up underneath the rue Sherbrooke overpass between the Stade Olympic and Parc Maisonneuve.

Montréal is on unceded Kanien’kehà:ka territory that has also long served as a gathering place for many First Nations. The Canadian nation-state was founded and continues to rely on the ongoing dispossession and displacement of Indigenous peoples from their territories, cultures, and languages. Borders are an illegitimate, state-imposed apparatus that serve to divide and displace people and communities and then make such divisions appear natural.

Public statement in solidarity with activist Jaggi Singh, arrested in Montreal for having “impersonated” Nordiques’ Michel Goulet in Québec City

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 17:25:51 +0000