Aftermath of Anti-Muslim Rallies on March 4

We spent much of the day compiling reports about the protests that took place in a number of cities across the country. In the vast majority of the cases, anti-Muslim protesters were outnumbered considerably by counter protesters who favored M-103. In some cases the anti-Muslim protesters decided to leave when they noticed the space had been taken earlier by the counter protesters.

So, all this means that, at least in the mind of Kevin Goudreau, the protests were a wild success with no opposition to be found:

Sort of makes one wonder if the Goudreau actually participated or, perish the thought, was again all talk and no action....

To be fair though, at least he was honest about exactly what the protests were truly about.

This writer made a point of looking at the various anti-Muslim social media sites currently active online to see what the reaction to the protests would be. For example, WCAI Canada promoted the event on it's page:

And if the attitude of those posting on this thread were not clear enough about what their real views are, here's another short little excerpt we found:

Not exactly subtle.

There were more posts like these on PEGIDA Canada, Canadians United 4 Canada, Canadians Against Justin Trudeau, III% Canada, and all the others, all equally enlightening.

Since criticism of M103 from the Conservative Party was based on what they claimed to be the obscure and vague notion of what Islamophobia actually means, I decided to focus on a few of the personalities who attended one of the anti-Muslim events or who were heavily involved in promoting it.

Soldiers of Odin: Strike Three

In a recent article published here in which we briefly discussed the resignation of former national vice-president and Quebec president of the Soldiers of Odin, it was clear that there was (and likely has been for some time) a bit of an ideological struggle within the movement in Canada. One faction of the SoO wants to disassociate itself from the overt racism of the gang which was started by a well-known Finnish neo-Nazi while the other faction wishes to strengthen the connection to the Finnish movement and the core raison d'etre of the Soldiers of Odin which is anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim in nature:

But as Tregget was busy building the group's membership he was also running afoul of the national leadership as well as the movement's international leaders in Finland. 

According to his one-time second-in-command, Tregget gave a series of interviews in the fall in which he downplayed the links between the Finnish and Quebec branches of the group. 

He also insisted on patrolling the "political correct" areas of Quebec City, like St-Roch, where the group was less likely to confront the city's immigrant population, said Katy Latulippe, who is now the acting president of Soldiers of Odin-Quebec. 

There are conflicting accounts of what, precisely, happened. Latulippe said Tregget was suspended. Tregget said he quit: "Finished with the racist image of Finland," he later told CBC News in a Facebook message. 

Regardless of the details, what is clear is that with Tregget out, and Latulippe in, the group's Quebec chapter will undergo a reorientation....."Dave avoided that, on patrols, we go into areas where there are a lot of Muslims or Islamization," she said during a recent phone conversation.

We should stress that we believe that much of this soul searching is primarily one of optics and how the SoO desire to perceived by the public rather than a disagreement about the fundamental nature of the gang's motives:

SoO, which has chapters across Canada, denies, on its public Facebook page, any accusations of being racist or anti-immigrant and claims to exist to primarily protect women and children by keeping the streets safe.  

However, it’s been alleged the group’s private Facebook page is filled with racist and xenophobic comments, mainly directed towards Muslims.

However there might also be an element of self-delusion as exhibited by Regina, Saskatchewan president Ryen Ward who was interviewed by Paul Dechene for "Planet S":

“I am not accusing you of being a racist,” I explain at one point. “I am saying that this is the cultural context in which the Regina chapter of the Soldiers of Odin swims, and I’m curious as to why you would want to carry all this cultural, racist baggage if you’re really serious about being seen as welcoming and helpful?” 

But as far as Ward is concerned, his group’s negative image has nothing to do with its founder, its connections nor its imagery. It’s all the fault of the lying media. 

“The danger lies in the lies printed about us and the fear you evoke into your readers,” he writes. “For the last time, we are not racist.”

Ward contradicts himself later on though he clearly doesn't see it that way:

When our conversation moves to politics — specifically, Trump — Ward raises his concerns about immigration. 

“Our problems occur with a lack of proper vetting system in which people coming into the country should receive a face to face interview. Very similar to Kellie Leitch’s idea,” he writes. 

And when I press him on this, and on Black Lives Matter, this happens: 

“I would like them [new immigrants] to be interviewed to [ensure] that they do not have anger or hatred, as ISIS [has] stated [that] they have infiltrated the refugee camps and [they’re] sending terrorists to North America through such lame processes that we just believe everything. I would like them to be interviewed on their beliefs of Sharia Law, and other such ideologies that do not fit into our Canadian laws or way of life. 

“Black Lives Matter are not the only protestors/rioters that have caused discord in the USA. I am talking about all of the hate groups. From the KKK all the way to the Black Panthers and every group in between that calls for the death to another race.

Further indication of Ward's apparent difficulty in engaging in self-reflection can be found on social media.

Uhm, no. No it wasn't.

Anti-Immigration Rally Featuring Soldiers of Odin, PEGIDA, and Atalante Québec Yesterday

Yesterday an anti-immigrant rally took place in Quebec City featuring some groups we are well aware of and a few that are knew to us (yes, our Quebec intel still sucks):

Anti-immigration groups are heard in Quebec  

PUBLISHED  Saturday, October 15, 2016 13 H 38 

About 75 protesters marched in Old Quebec, Saturday lunch, to denounce the immigration policies of the governments of Quebec and Canada and what they called "radical Islam." 

"Uncontrolled immigration, assured invasion," chanted some demonstrators gathered under the banner of several groups such as Pegida Quebec, Justiciers the People, Soldiers of Odin, and different factions of the group The Pack. 

Some protesters repeated to reporters that they did not belong to "a racist movement." 

"It is not against a race, but against a religion and an ideology that has," said Christian Desrochers, the Avengers group of people. 

The event was framed by the Quebec City police, who had to intervene when antifascists were invited to the event. "We, we want to denounce their hate speech, homophobic and Islamophobic, launched a protester who would not be named. There are enough of [today]. That's still afraid. " 

Among the group of anti-fascists, Cora Lemoine, a veiled woman, had come to denounce the event. She said the protesters would benefit by learning more. 

"We we are here to say" you are afraid for nothing. " [What you have before you], this is not an Islamist. this is a working woman, raising a family and many friends, she said. So I should not be so detestable as that! "

The rally organizers plan more demonstrations "against radical Islam in Québec" in the coming months.

Now there are a few groups that we aren't familiar with (and if anyone wants to help, we are always open to assistance), but there are a few that we are quite familiar with.

A Look at the Soldiers of Odin in Hamilton

We were contacted by someone who created the following video highlighting the efforts of the Soldiers of Odin to set up a chapter in Hamilton, ON. Unfortunately we were unable embed the video, however the creator graciously allowed us to download so that we could include it here on the blog.

Soldiers of Odin: Canadian Media Paying Attention Part 2

Before we begin and for any new reader here as a result of the latest article abut the Soldiers of Odin published by the CBC, we thought we would provide you with the links to our coverage of the group before jumping into our commentary on Mr. Lamoureux's article:

• Canadians United 4 Canada vs. Canadians United For Canada: Splitters!
• March 2016 Bits and Bites: PEGIDA/JDL Protest Bust, Your Ward News in Warman's Cross-hairs, and Free Dominion News
• Soldiers of Odin: Canadians United 4 Canada Ally With Overt Neo-Nazis
• Canadians United 4 Canada Founder and Paul Fromm Meet
• Canadians United 4 Canada Founder Responds to ARC Articles
• Halifax Chronicle Herald: The Damage is Done
• Neo-Nazi Members/Supporters of the Soldiers of Odin
• Soldiers of Odin: 81 Problems and a Snitch Ain't One of Them
• Man Arrested for Threatening Prime Minster: Ties to Canadian Extremist Group Soldiers of Odin
• Soldier of Odin Member Christopher Hayes Update 1
• Soldiers of Odin: Canadian Media Paying Attention
• Soldier of Odin Member Christopher Hayes Update 2

For a while, we at ARC seemed to be one of the few groups who were keeping an eye on the Soldiers of Odin, the vigilante group that began in Finland that was founded by a number of overt neo-Nazis. The movement eventually sprang up in other countries, including Canada. As of this date, there's a branch or support group in almost every province in Canada.

Now we've always been pretty realistic about our own limited media impact, so we were very pleased when Mack Lamoureux published his expose on the SOO in Alberta for "Vice" in April. This was followed by a story by Samantha Craggs of CBC News in Hamilton who spotlighted the growth of the movement in her own city; we commented on the story a few days later. If you haven't read these articles, we would urge you to do so.

Today, Mack Lamoureux again, this time writing for the CBC, has highlighted the group's activities in Edmonton:

Soldiers of Odin, dubbed 'extreme anti-refugee group' in U.S., patrols Edmonton streets

Canadian president says local chapters 'not affiliated' with white supremacy

By Mack Lamoureux, CBC News Posted: Sep 03, 2016 6:00 AM MT           Last Updated: Sep 03, 2016 7:25 PM MT

A few interesting points:

"At this stage, we have a group of people that have associated [themselves] with a group that are internationally extremely negative," Jones said. "In the city of Edmonton context that we have right now, we have seen no violence, no complaints, no threats, nothing criminal." 

Jones said police have spoken to the group. 

"They are reporting they are not the same type of group, that they are not anti-immigration or radical right."

Well, that might be a hard case to make when, in order to be recognized as an official branch of the international Soldiers of Odin movement, a new national branch needs the approval of the original Finish branch:

And it's tough to convince us that the Canadian SOO isn't anti-immigration or radical right when you associate with overt racists and neo-Nazis:

"People think we're some sort of white power group," Joel Agnott, the SOO national president, told CBC News in early August. "We're not affiliated with any of that. We have had a few of those members, and we've kicked them out."

Yeah, we're still able to find a lot of "those members." For just one example, a quick look at the SOO Edmonton support page brings this guy to our attention:

"Jay Cam" has been profiled on the blog briefly before. He at one time was an administrator for the Canadians United 4 Canada Facebook group. Oh, and he's associated with Kyle McKee's Blood & Honour chapter.

Perhaps our readers would like to take a closer look at his profile photo

If you were able to identify the photo as that of George Lincoln Rockwell, founder of the American Nazi Party, give yourself a pat on the back.

Also Joel Agnott has some interesting ties to people we're able to link to McKee's Blood & Honour faction (we'll be addressing this in a future article) as well as to Ernst Zundel's wife and fellow Holocaust denier Ingrid Rimland which in and of itself cause our spidey senses to start tingling: 

Soldier of Odin Member Christopher Hayes Update 2

It's been a few days, however it looks as if Soldier of Odin member Chrisopher Hayes as released around August 8 pending a court appearance on September 12:

Hayes’ release order included the statutory conditions and numerous others including: not attempting to directly or indirectly communicate with the prime minister; surrending all firearms and any possession and acquisition licences to the RCMP within 24 hours; not possessing any electronic devices capable of duplicating, creating or generating social media posts (except for work purposes); reporting monthly to the RCMP; remaining in Saskatchewan; and relinquishing his passport. 

In the meantime, Chris Hayes' brother Michael "Mjohn" Hayes who is the leader of the Oxbow, Saskatchewan chapter of the Soldiers of Odin still seems to believe that threatening Prime Minister Trudeau is a perfectly acceptable exercising of one's freedom of expression and is not particularily pleased with the RCMP:

Yeah. Your brother didn't simply criticize Mr. Trudeau, but we suppose that the truth is still a hard pill to swallow particularly if you surround yourself with people who believe uttering casual death threats to be reasonable political discourse:

The Trump reference reminds us that something else interesting popped up in our examination of Michael Hayes' Facebook profile. For someone who is a leader of a group that claims to to be patriotic....

....Michael doesn't actually seem to like his own country all that much:

Soldiers of Odin: Canadian Media Paying Attention

We don't usually refer to ourselves as "media" though in the absolute sense, we suppose we are. We run a niche blog who's members have a realistic understanding concerning our national exposure. Still, we like to think that at least on occasion we've been able to punch above our weight by breaking a few stories before the msm have.

As far as we know, we were amongst the first, if not the first, "media" source that began covering the entry of the Soldiers of Odin onto the Canadian scene. However since we began, there has been some really good journalism focused on the SoO. Not too long after our first exposé, Vice published a story by Mack Lamoureux who was able to infiltrate a meeting by the Alberta chapter of Soldiers of Odin. And last week, CBC's Samantha Craggs wrote what we would regard as a pretty hard hitting profile of the SoO and the group's efforts to organize in the city of Hamilton.

Some members of the SoO took notice, including co-leader of the Saskatchewan chapter of the Soldiers of Odin:

In the article, the national president of the Canadian Soldiers of Odin, Joel Angott, claims that the group is opposed to racism:

The presence in Hamilton is informal right now, with about eight or nine members getting organized, said SOO national president Joel Angott. There's a lot of interest, but potential Hamilton members are being carefully vetted. 

SOO members do neighbourhood patrols, Angott told CBC Hamilton in a phone interview from Winnipeg. Right now, its Hamilton plans focus on cleaning up local parks. 

He denies that the group is anti-immigration, or anti-Muslim, although the group's bylaws lament the government "accepting refugees from countries that hate us" and "letting illegal aliens into this country and giving them the ability to vote and drive."

Denying that the SoO is not anti-immigrant or anti-Muslim sort of flies in the face of what is routinely posted on the various provincial Soldiers of Odin chapters' Facebook pages however. For example, here are a few from the British Columbia chapter group page:

Soldier of Odin Member Christopher Hayes Update 1

Last Friday we wrote about Christopher Hayes who was arrested for making threats towards Prime Minister Trudeau on social media. We also posted comments defending said threats as "freedom of speech." We also learned that Hayes was a supporter, if not a member, of the Saskatchewan chapter of Soldiers of Odin:

We didn't initially notice, but upon a second look we found that Chris Hayes' arrest had been discussed in a thread originally begun by an individual who claimed Chris as a brother:

The thread continued today:

This is interesting, in that another supporter (or member) of the Soldiers of Odin, David Rhinelander, has admitted to being investigated for threats made on social media.

Of additional interest is that Michael "Mjohn" Hayes is a leader within the Saskatchewan chapter of the Sons of Odin; he has been listed as the Oxbow chapter president:

Man Arrested for Threatening Prime Minster: Ties to Canadian Extremist Group Soldiers of Odin

On August 2, a man residing in Grayson, Saskatchewan, was arrested for online threats made against Prime Minister Trudeau:

On Tuesday, Christopher Hayes was arrested by RCMP members at his residence in the Saskatchewan town 170 kilometres northeast of Regina. 

He was charged with one count of uttering threats against a Canadian government official. His home was also searched, and several electronic items were seized by police.....In one post from July, Hayes writes, “if I have to folks I’ll start personally threatening civil unrest, personally gathering people to overthrow Notley and eventually Trudeau… I have nothing to hide from the #RCMP who are already watching my Facebook account… am I threatening personal harm to Trudeau or Notley? Nope." 

The post goes on to say Hayes will spend all of his time “to organize a movement to overthrow a corrupt government. If the RCMP as a whole had any balls ya [sic] all show throw Notley and Trudeau in fn [sic] jail for corruption and crimes against the people of Canada.” 

Other posts are in support of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, while others go after government and politicians.

One of the threatening messages were still on Mr. Hayes' Facebook page when this writer took a look. A second one could not be found at that time, but a screen shot was taken by a friend who tipped us off to Christopher Hayes' online activities. Both posts were made on July 8:

 

Another post made on the same day included a petition to allow concealed firearms in Canada (because goodness knows people like this should be walking around with concealed weapons):

The day before his arrest, Hayes posted another message which given the context of his other posts a call for violence.... as well as exhibiting an overall ignorance of economics and geopolitics:

This also doesn't appear to have been Mr. Hayes' first interaction with the police:

Prior to the tip about this guy, we really didn't give it much thought. But when we did a little bit of digging, we found that he had recently become associated with a group we started covering here on the blog a few months ago:

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:

Canadians United 4 Canada Founder Responds to ARC Articles

It was a matter of time:

Oh, where to begin?

Word of warning though. There might be a little bit of snark:

Canadians United 4 Canada Founder and Paul Fromm Meet

Hot on the heels of our last story detailing Canadians United 4 Canada and their ties to Canadian neo-Nazis, we see have a related update further cementing the group in the "White Nationalist" camp.

Yesterday Ms. O'Farrell, founder of Canadians United 4 Canada, alluded to some meetings that were taking place soon:

And now thanks to Paulie, we know a little bit more about one of those meetings: