March 19 Anti-Muslim Rallies: Some Victories, Some Hard Lessons

By this point ARC readers know that any time we mention Kevin "The Chairman" Goudreau on the blog, it is probably because he did something profoundly stupid or embarrassing but isn't self aware enough to realize that this is the case:

Yep, the Goudreau held a rally in Peterborough while wearing an ill-fitted suit because he now wants to project gravitas.

Though really, to refer to what the Goudreau held as a rally is sort of like polishing a turd and calling it a diamond:

Still, despite holding his "rally" (word is they were there for less than 5 minutes) in what looks to my uneducated eye as a relatively empty street with few people to witness it, and what few people who did witness the event simply mocked him and his merry band of short bus passengers, the Goudreau appears to see it as a massive success and his first step towards his inevitable rise as der Kanadisch Führer:

Add caption

At least one person however, seemed to imply that the Goudreau was sort of gilding the lily:

That's right folks. There were more anti-Muslim rallies in select Canadian towns and cities this past week.

Kevin's explanation for the pathetic nature of his rally is flimsy at best, but it is telling in that he really believes (and is likely correct) that some of the kind of people who would attend a "White Pride" march would also be attracted to an anti-Muslim protest. It's sort of a Venn Diagram, but of hatred. For example, Goudreau has some prominent anti-Muslim activists amongst his own friends:

Brad Salzberg, the leader of the Cultural Action Party of Canada, isn't just anti-Muslim but is also anti-immigrant in general. He held a very small anti-Muslim protest in Vancouver this past Sunday. And Sara Smith is better known as Sandra Solomon, an especially vocal and virulent anti-Muslim protester associates with Eric Brazeau and Ron Banerjee; she was a key speaker at the anti-Muslim event that took place Sunday in Toronto.

When analyzing the anti-Muslim protests that took place this past Sunday, I think it is important to look not only at the victories scored by those who opposed the xenophobes and Islamophobes, but it is equally important to recognize that there were some setbacks.

June 2016 Bits and Bites: Paul Fromm, Robert Reitmeier, Tyler Sturrup, Canadians United 4 Canada, and Assault on Muslim Woman

A few things have occurred over the past few days that we figure warrant some discussion, though not necessarily stand alone posts.

First on the agenda is another example of Paulie having a bad day, which is generally a good day for most people. He was scheduled to give a speech in Victoria, however the manager contacted him to let Paulie know he was't welcome. Paulie accepted the news with the quiet dignity he is well known for:

Or he whined and claimed his free speech rights have been curtailed while presenting the event as an epic struggle for freedom of expression. I mean, either way, right?

Neo-Nazi Members/Supporters of the Soldiers of Odin

Back in March we ran an article linking Canadians United 4 Canada to the Soldiers of Odin, a movement that started in Finland but which has spread to a number of other countries including Canada.

Among those Finnish members are this guy:

Mr. Johansson's friend list might be of interest to readers on this side of the Atlantic:

Our original article on the SoO focused specifically on the Quebec wing and noted the Quebec group consisted of a number of overt neo-Nazis. Not surprisingly SoO members and supporters denied being members of an overt hate group, going so far as to print leaflets promoting their non-bigoted bona fides:

Later, a journalist writing for VICE picked up on the story (while also kindly linking to our article on the SoO) resulting in some concern from at least one provincial SoO wing:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Btw, if Blake Cunliffe is concerned about how SoO might be portrayed in the media, he might decide to desist advocating political assassinations:

While we are no longer privy to the Soldiers of Odin's BC wing as they appear to have removed our dummy Facebook profile, we did notice that no one really ultimately challenged the underlying claims made in the article. Had they done so though, they might have had to explain this fella:

Article in Calgary Sun Regarding Murder of Mark Mariani

The article published on Saturday lays out much of the evidence (in addition to the released audio transcript that was released a two years ago) used to ultimately convict Tyler Sturrup and Robert Reitmeier, founding members of Western European Bloodlines (WEB) which was, if one can believe it, a more violent offshoot of the Aryan Guard.

We found this line to sufficiently describe the "bravery" of the Master Race once one model example realized he had been caught:

Reitmeier’s last act as a free man is to throw up in front of two cops and a camera....

Looks good on you.

Dean Clifford and Bill Noble: Emails

This day last November freeman-on-the-land guru, former active Stormfront member, and general nutter Dean Clifford was taken into custody during a seminar he was conducting in Ontario. Since that day, Clifford has been claiming that his release would be imminent as would be his take-down of the political and economic system in this nation. And despite his continued incarceration, which now includes charges that he made threats to directed at the police and court officials while in custody (we have at least one of those recordings saves), Clifford continues in his delusional belief that he has them all right where he wants them and that there will be hell to pay when he gets out. His supporters remain credulous in spite of all available evidence.

Today those supporters who run the website provided the world with a gift; 9+ hours of Dean Clifford's pseudo-legalistic mumbo jumbo. We here at ARC humbly would suggest being subjected to more than 9 hours of Dean Clifford would be far worse than the torture he claims that he has undergone while a guest of Her Majesty.

That noted, we thought we too might provide a gift to mark this auspicious occasion.

A couple of years back, some one or some group hacked a number of racist websites and email addresses. It just so happens that three of those email addresses belonged to Bill Noble, someone our readers are very familiar with. And Noble kept up a fairly extensive correspondence with Clifford from 2007 into at least 2011. Some of those correspondences were related to Noble's own case in which he was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to a term of four months followed by three years probation (which he immediately violated soon after his release with no apparent consequence):

Oh, perhaps we should have mentioned that Bill Noble once (and maybe still does) uses Adolf Hitler as means of identifying himself.

The name that Clifford signed as, "Sovereign" is significant in that it is what he used as his online moniker on Stormfront. In some of the emails that will follow Clifford will refer to posts he made on Stormfront. Since some of his acolytes refused to believe that Clifford (who threw quite a temper tantrum when we suggested we would be writing an article about him) was the racist we proved him to be, maybe this provides sufficient proof, however there will be more so stay tuned.

Anyways, Clifford included an attachment with his email, the content of which follows:

Bill Noble: Still a Little Bitter

It's been a while since we wrote about the folks who were associated with Kyle McKee's AG/B&H/C18/AARP/WWE/NAMBLA but we certainly haven't forgotten about them. While he certainly has been quiet these days with McKee's one time ally, now rival Max Hynes getting much of the press, he has been quietly trying to reestablish himself.

Part of the reason for the collapse of the Aryan Guard and it's Blood & Honour successor was because of pretty massive egos and the infighting that resulted. WEB broke away from the AG due to "philosophical differences" which appears to have resulted in an attempt to off one of the WEB members with a pipe bomb. When the AG morphed into Blood & Honour, there was already a faction of the movement associated with the Hammerskins and Volksfront who had a preexisting acrimonious relationship with the C18 aligned B&H internationally as well as within Canada. And then McKee's B&H splintered, with one group siding with McKee and the other Jessie Lajoie. By the time of Max Hynes' falling out with McKee, it looks as if Lajoie had reconciled with McKee which, of course, resulted in this:

McKee Associate Convicted and Sentenced in Violent Attack

Really, it's hard to conduct RAHOWA if you continually shoot, stab, or bomb each other in the backs. But hey, don't let us stop you.

One of the more entertaining incidents that occurred during this time was detailed in this blog more than two years ago. Bill Noble, still loosely associated with the McKee faction, had entered into a new relationship with a woman who had more liberal views about human sexuality. Long story short, Noble was photographed at the Winnipeg Gay Pride Festival having a great time.

It didn't take long before Noble was taken to task for his attendance at the event, though he tried to justify it as a sneaky way of proving how intolerant anti-racists really are rather than telling people that he had a blast, made some new friends, and that those criticizing him should jump off a bridge.

Suffice it to say no one bought his explanation and he was booted from the Blood & Honour International forums by the then Canadian moderator and his chief accuser, Jessie Lajoie. And when he learned he had been banned from the forum, Noble threw a hissy fit and went after Lajoie.

Now one would think that two year later Noble might have decided to have let it go and just move on with his life. However, if you believe that you really don't know Bill Noble:

Tyler Sturrup Appealing Murder Conviction

Late last year Robert Reitmeier was convicted of murder Mark Mariani. A year previously Tyler Sturrup pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison for his participation in the murder with no possibility for parole for 10 years.

Evidently, Sturrup wants a do-over:

Calgary Neo-Nazi appeals murder conviction

By Kevin Martin ,Calgary Sun

First posted: Tuesday, March 11, 2014 04:15 PM MDT | Updated: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 08:16 AM MDT 

More than a year after pleading guilty to the murder of Calgarian Mark Mariani, white supremacist Tyler Sturrup has had a change of heart and appealed his conviction.

Citing several reasons, including the psychological state he was in at the time, Sturrup has asked the Alberta Court of Appeal to overturn his conviction for second-degree murder.

And in his handwritten notice of appeal, Sturrup cites problems with his lawyer as the main reason he wants to take his case to trial.

Murderer Robert Reitmeier Appealing Conviction

Not necessarily surprising, mind you.

No doubt this will be difficult for the Mariani family, but unless something truly unexpected occurs, we suspect that the appeal will be rejected. 

Neo-Nazi murderer, Robert Reitmeier, files appeal

Reitmeier was found guilty in November of 2nd-degree murder in 2010 death of Mark Mariani

By Meghan Grant, CBC News Posted: Jan 04, 2014 5:58 PM MT Last Updated: Jan 05, 2014 10:53 AM MT

Neo-Nazi murderer, Robert Reitmeier, is appealing his conviction and sentence for the 2010 random killing of Mark Mariani.

After being found guilty by a jury in November 2013, Reitmeier was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 13 years. For Mariani's family, news of the appeal isn't sitting well.

Reitmeier: Life in Prison

Before his friends and family begin caterwauling about the great injustice of imprisoning Robert Reitmeier for murder, remember this.

Reitmeier is eligible for parole in 13 years. As such there is a possibility he could be released before he turns 40.

On the other hand, in 13 years Mark Mariani will still be dead. There's no second chance for him.

Robert Reitmeier gets life in beating death of Calgary man

No chance of parole for 13 years for neo-Nazi

CBC News Posted: Dec 10, 2013 2:19 PM MT
Last Updated: Dec 10, 2013 2:19 PM MT

Self-proclaimed white supremacist Robert Reitmeier has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 13 years in the 2010 beating death of a Calgary man.

Robert Reitmeier Found Guilty

Rob Reitmeier guilty of 2nd-degree murder, says jury

 

Self-proclaimed white supremacist charged after 2010 beating death of Mark Mariani

CBC News Posted: Nov 20, 2013 9:53 PM MT Last Updated: Nov 20, 2013 10:09 PM MT

Self-proclaimed white supremacist Rob Reitmeier has been found guilty of second-degree murder by a jury in the 2010 beating death of Calgary man Mark Mariani.

After two days of deliberating, a jury of 11 returned the verdict at 9:51 p.m. MT Wednesday.

They are now tasked with recommending parole eligibility for Reitmeier.

Reitmeier Murder Trial Goes To Jury

Nothing much to add. Here's the link to the story.

Tyler Sturrup: “If I have a fucking question about her I’ll make her be dead."

More disturbing testimony today at the murder trial of Robert Reitmeier. Yesterday and today the jury heard recorded conversations between Reitmeier and Tyler Sturrup which appears to refer to the murder. Here are a few excerpts:

Tyler Sturrup and Robert Reitmeier

“I mean you know how much anxiety rips my ... heart out every ... day,” Reitmeier tells his friend in an April 20, 2011, call. “Like I say, they’ve got nothing.

“Talk about being in the wrong place, wrong time, whatever.”

Sturrup reassures Reitmeier that if police had something on them, they would have been brought in for questioning. “They’ve got nothing. I’m not worried,” he adds.

In a call the following day, Reitmeier begins to get uptight again, telling Sturrup that at the beginning of the conversation he was told there was nothing to worry about and now he is saying otherwise.

Reitmeier: Photo taken late (December) 2012

Sturrup said the media reports were starting to get him concerned.

“When I heard the news, I was, ugh, I’m dying a little bit inside,” Sturrup tells Reitmeier. 

“Whatever it is, I mean, they’re not gonna get me in handcuffs for that ... I’ll make them kill me ... I’ll take a couple of cops with me.”

The Reitmeier Murder Trial: A Third Person

As we thought, video surveillance evidence is playing a significant role in the murder trial of Robert Reitmeier, co-founder of the white supremacist group Western European Bloodlines (W.E.B) which was itself an off-shoot to the Aryan Guard. Despite the defence's efforts to have the video evidence declared inadmissible, the jury was shown videos of Reitmeier and Tyler Sturrup buying beer in the same min-mall as the store Mark Mariani had entered.

But of significant note is this revelation:

Another series of clips showed three people — two males and a female — entering and leaving a nearby liquor store.

We had heard rumors after the arrests of Reitmeier and Sturrup that there might have been a third person who might have had some involvement, though it was never clear what that involvement might have been. We had assumed that it was another male member of W.E.B and based on a comment left on the blog suspected it might have been a member who picked up and moved to Saskatchewan. We were clearly incorrect in that assumption:

The woman in the video looks to us like Reitmeier's wife.

So while it looks like the evidence of Robert Reitmeier's involvement in the murder is becoming increasingly clear, we do now have a lot of questions about C.S.

Reitmeier Murder Trial Begins

Photo likely taken around
January 2012 while in remand

We had been looking up old websites using the handy tool that is the Wayback Machine last night when we decided to take a look back at one of the sites Kulbashian used to host, TorontoSkinHeads.com. Given that Robert Reitmeier's trial began today, we found this part (saved by someone who took over the site and wished to provide evidence to the violent motives of boneheads) to be especially salient (photos were added from our collection):

Lets now talk about the essence of a skinhead; tenacity and violence. How many of you reading this

have been in a fight in the last five years? How many have ever been in a fight outside of high school. You need to ask yourself these questions, and ask yourself if you really have what it takes to call yourself a skinhead. As a skinhead, you should not take shit from anyone. I do not care if there are multiple people, you simply do not take shit from them. So what if you get your ass kicked? So what if you get killed? If you have the aggressive spirit I, and numerous others have, neither of the above will happen to you. How violent are you? How much do you believe in our cause? If some asshole at the grocery store makes a comment such as "Seek Help", do you immediately beat him to the ground? Do you have the animal inside you? Can you do anything it takes?

Remember, the reason niggers are so violent is that they still have the ability to tap into animal instinct, and somewhat lack the ability to turn it off. This is a product of natural selection, and results because niggers are so far behind whites, and every other race for that matter, in an evolutionary sense. Whites can turn on the inner animal, although it takes a bit of practice. It's essentially what the military does to all of its infantry and spec ops. They simply train the soldier until the beast can be turned on. This is the same reason that many of you have never met a "normal" marine, and why most of them act like murders. You, as a skinhead, must turn on the inner animal in order to do what other may deem as impossible, sickening, depraved, and insane. 
...
Could you claw out an opponents eyes and scrape the pink muscle of the eye socket while optical fluid pours over your hands. Could you stand the "underwater popping sound" as the eye is torn from

the optic cord? 

Could you bash, stab, kick an opponent until their head caves in, their brains varnishing the floor, as their eyes are displaced from their sockets? 

Could you kill thousands of people with an explosive device?

Essentially, I am asking, have you ever seen a body? Can you stand to see the mutilation of the human body without going into shock? Can you inflict the above damage on another's body without going into shock, freezing, or being hindered because of psychological preconditioning? If the answer is no, you can not yet tap into the inner animal, nor will you survive long in what the future will surely bring. If the answer is yes, you will most likely never loose another fight, and you will indeed be an asset to our cause.  

At least whoever wrote this was being honest when compared to other groups (Aryan Guard, Blood & Honour, Tri-City Skins, Heritage Front, etc) who publicly disavow violence but who amongst their fellow travelers both glorify and revel in it.

When the arrests originally took place, the media noted the racist graffiti as evidence of White Supremacist involvement of the crime. A lot of people suggested that such evidence was very weak and at best circumstantial, and we agreed. However we posited that there must be other evidence, such as video surveillance, that ultimately made the arrests possible. Based on the information below, it would appear that we weren't all that far off:

Chance encounter with graffiti vandals led to beating death, court told

Family fears reason for deadly attack may never be known

By Jason van Rassel, Calgary Herald November 4, 2013 6:03 PM

The jury trial of a man accused in the beating death of Calgarian Mark Mariani may bring about a resolution to the case, but the victim’s sister isn’t sure her family will ever know why he was killed.

Robert David Reitmeier is accused of beating 47-year-old Mariani to death with another man, Tyler Sturrup, in a northwest Calgary alleyway in 2010.

Sturrup pleaded guilty to second-degree murder earlier this year, but went to prison without ever explaining why.

A Personal Look Inside W.E.B.

A few weeks back a series of messages were left on the blog detailing one individual's experience with the Calgary-based hate group WEB. Our readers are very well acquainted with WEB and the actions of their members, the most violent action of which was the murder of Mark Mariani, a crime that WEB member Tyler Sturrup pleaded guilty to and WEB founder Robert Reitmeier is still currently awaiting trial.

Though we didn't pass them through moderation when they were posted, we were able to contact the person who left these comments and asked if we could publish them as an article. Though understandably a little reticent at first, the individual felt that perhaps her story could help others who might be vulnerable to the lure of hate groups.

The following is one person's experience. We have attempted to conceal some identities but are under no illusion that those who are more personally acquainted with the characters in this account won't be able to easily figure out whom is being referred to. The story was compelling but raw; we worked with the writer to tell the story with as little distraction as possible while attempting to accurately detail her truth as she understands it.

And with that, we give you an account of one person's personal encounter with the Western European Bloodlines, Calgary hate group.

Anti-Racist Rally Successful in Calgary

For five years, anti-racists have assembled to stand against members of the Calgary-based Aryan Guard who had attempted to co-opt the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which takes place on March 21, calling their rally a "white pride march." In those years, the Aryan Guard (which later morphed into Blood & Honour) were outnumbered by as many as 8 to 1. Things became so hot for them in Calgary that they tried moving the march to Edmonton where they had to resort to a game of hide and go seek in order to avoid an equally large number of anti-racists. Efforts to hold a march in London last year met with unqualified failure, though anti-racists were quite successful in their efforts.

So yesterday, anti-racists again assembled along with members of Idle No More in Calgary in a rally to end racism. They met with almost no opposition as most of the membership of the old Aryan Guard, Blood & Honour, W.E.B. are in remand awaiting trial or serving lengthy prison sentences. Only two boneheads showed up, and one of them was Layton Bertsch who even boneheads don't take seriously.

WEB Founder Tyler Sturrup Pleads Guilty to Murder

Back in October 2012 Tyler Sturrup was reported to be drafting a charter challenge, the basis of which remains unknown. As such this comes as a bit of a surprise:

Former white supremacist pleads guilty in random, deadly attack

Tamara Elliott, Global News : Monday, March 04, 2013 6:31 PM

CALGARY- A former white supremacist has pleaded guilty in the death of a man who was viciously attacked and found dead in front of a northwest strip mall.

In October 2010, 47-year-old Mark Mariani was approached by two complete strangers behind the mall. They knocked him down and repeatedly kicked and stomped him. Mariani died of severe head injuries, and the motive behind the vicious attack is still not known.

27-year-old Tyler Sturrup entered a guilty plea in court on Monday in connection with the attack—the very day his trial was set to get underway.

“I think we were all preparing for a long, lengthy trial, preparing to go the distance for whatever we needed to do, and it was a shock this turned around like it did today,” says Mariani’s brother, Dino. “We’re all surprised by it.”

In court, Sturrup offered an apology, saying, “I cannot give Mark his life back, I wish I could. But I can take responsibility.

“I deeply regret my past violent and reckless behaviour. I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused your family.”

Sturrup was sentenced to life in prison, with no chance of parole for 10 years.

While Mariani’s family left court satisfied some justice has been served, there is still another trial scheduled. Robert Reitmeier, the second man accused in Mariani’s murder, is set to face a judge in the fall.

With files from Nancy Hixt

Not sure how this influences Robert Reitmeier's trial, but it certainly makes things a bit more interesting. If we were to guess though, we would imagine that it doesn't look too good for him.

While the imprisonment of Sturrup will not bring back the life of Mark Mariani, at least he's off the streets for a long time and will not be able to hurt anyone. He might be up for parole in 2021, but given his personality and penchant for violence, we hope he rots there.

Sturrup Drafting Charter Challenge?

We've got to admit we aren't sure where Sturrup is going with this. Perhaps Reitmeier's wife, who has so frequently posted defences of her husband, might be able to shed light on this?

Our guess is it might have something to do with the length of time it is taking for his case to go to trial, but that really is just unsubstantiated speculation on our part.

Reputed neo Nazi charged with Calgary murder drafting Charter challenge

By Kevin Martin ,Calgary Sun

First posted: Friday, October 19, 2012 04:45 PM MDT | Updated: Friday, October 19, 2012 10:34 PM MDT 

One of two purported white supremacists charged with murdering a Calgary man will make an unspecified Charter challenge in advance of his trial next spring.

Tyler William Sturrup appeared briefly in Court of queen’s Bench Friday to set deadline dates for written briefs for his constitutional challenge.

Calgary Movement From the Inside

We'll let the article speak for itself:

How neo-Nazis think: Calgary photojournalist spends three years following skinheads' lives (with photos)

Brent Gundlock launches documentary project to understand extremist ideologies of white supremacists

By Michele Jarvie, Calgary Herald September 8, 2012 2:25 PM

Sturrup Murder Trial April 2013. Co-accused Reitmeier's Trial 7 Months Later

An update especially important for those who don't consider neo-Nazis to be a threat.

Trials set for men accused in 2010 Calgary beating death

Tyler Sturrup and Robert Reitmeier both face second-degree murder charges

CBC News Last Updated: Aug 17, 2012 1:44 PM MT 

Trial dates are now set for both men accused of beating 47-year-old Mark Mariani to death in a 16th Avenue parking lot in 2010.

It was decided on Friday in a Calgary courtroom that Tyler Sturrup will face a judge and jury in April 2013. Seven months later, the fate of his co-accused Robert Reitmeier will be decided in the same fashion — a date that had been previously set.

Both men face second-degree murder charges.

Both Reitmeier and Sturrup have ties to a neo-nazi group, but police say that wasn’t the motive for the crime, which they believe was a random act.

The two were arrested in June of 2011, eight months after Mariani’s death.

At the time of his death, police said they believed there was a third attacker.

The arrests were made after a Crime Stoppers re-enactment and a plea to the public for help.