Showing posts with label Paul Fromm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Fromm. Show all posts

Sunday, December 18, 2022

A Deep Dive into WLM Toronto Member Andrew Benson

This past July I was doxxed.


Well, not really.

You see I had actually been doxxed in January 2020, but WLM Toronto appeared to have believed they got a "W" on this.


You have probably seen WLM flyers posted in a number of cities in Canada and the United States at this point. The movement wants people to believe they are a significant group but the reality, with a few exceptions, is that most cells are composed of no more than half a dozen to a dozen members who bravely hide their faces because, you know, they are really proud of what they do.

WLM Toronto is perhaps one of the more pathetic cells in North America as illustrated what they believe to be successful events:



This is just sad!

Monday, November 16, 2020

Pro-Terror Neo-Nazi Attending Toronto Anti-Lockdown Protests

Toronto has been a focal point for protests against mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as against government lock downs. It's also been a hot spot for new COVID cases which I'm sure is just a coincidence, but I digress. 

We have covered the Toronto COVID protests on the blog before, which focused on some of the far-right patriots and neo-Nazis that were attending, as well as some of the racist/Islamphobic social media history of prominent anti-masker Chris Saccoccia.

Some of the far-right attendees of Toronto anti-mask protests include neo-Nazis Tomas Liko and Paul Fromm,  hate rag Your Ward News editor James Sears, Toronto agitator Lily, Chris Vanderweide and Leigh Stuart, and anti-muslim vlogger Kevin Johnston

Fringe extreme right involvement is not limited to Toronto. Some of the Vancouver rallies were partially organized by neo-Nazi Brian Ruhe. Antisemitic Holocaust denier David Icke spoke at a Vancouver rally on October 17 and 18. 

Recently we discovered that someone who subscribes to a far more alarming neo-Nazi belief system has been attending COVID rallies in Toronto and is tied to at least one organizer. The unfortunately named Michael Bolton has used multiple social media platforms to express his support for neo-Nazism, including the accelerationist network Atomwaffen Division.

Background photo is the logo of the Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists



Facebook description mentions the Boogaloo movement



Bolton regularly expresses support for Atomwaffen, a violent neo-Nazi accelerationist organization which originated on the Iron March forum. Northern Order is a Canadian-based cell of Atomwaffen. 1488 is of course a reference to the white supremacist 14 words and 88 is code for Heil Hitler.

It isn't clear whether Bolton is or was a member of Northern Order, though he has posted about the group favourably: 




Mike Bolton interviewed by David Menzies of The Rebel at an anti-mask rally. Mother Joanne MacFarlane on the left and one of his brothers on the right.  


Mike comes from what one could easily described as a right-wing family. Members of his family post far-right content on Facebook including support for QAnon and The Proud Boys, but not going so far as showing support for neo-Nazism, though the majority don't seem bothered by Bolton's views. Their trips to anti-mask rallies are clearly a family outing. 

His mother, Joanne MacFarland, and his father, Dave Bolton, as well as siblings Andrew and Colin all attend the rallies with Bolton. 


Bolton's family members en route to a rally from Newmarket, ON 

Maxime Bernier posing with three members of the Bolton family; Andrew and Colin in the back

Bolton's father Dave Bolton

Dave Bolton regularly reposts fringe right content, including posts supportive of the Proud Boys, an extremist, violent group which, after the election, descended on Washington, DC and attacked people at the so-called Million MAGA March. 


Bolton has also shared QAnon propaganda: 


Bolton's mother Joanne has posted anti-LGBTQ+ and antisemitic content, as well as support for the violent Proud Boys:  



And posts supporting violence against their political opposition: 


Including memes referencing Pinochet -- the Chilean dictator who became infamous for his men throwing communists from helicopters. 


Mike's brother Andrew Bolton also being interviewed by David Menzies of The Rebel


Mike's brother Colin Bolton , pictured on his Facebook with Chris Saccoccia


In such a far-right wing family it's not surprising that at least one of them has turned to overt neo-Nazi beliefs. That said Mike's social media use is much more concerning than what can easily be found from the others. 

"Day of the Rake," a play on "Day of the Rope," referencing when the US will invade Canada 

Holocaust denial posted by Mike Bolton



Bolton's Gab account, showing violent antisemitic content 

Bolton's Gab, referencing support for both the Yellow Vests and Killdozer, who has become a far-right meme

Bolton's Minds account

What is interesting about Mike Bolton's Facebook account, is that he's friends with a few other anti-maskers, one of whom is an administrator and organizer for MAD (Mother's Against Distancing) the group started by Chris Saccoccia

Omari Taylor is very involved in Toronto's anti-mask events. Strangely enough Mike Bolton is not his only neo-Nazi friend on Facebook.

Gus Stefanis was a candidate for the neo-Nazi Canadian Nationalist Party and Lily Musa (AKA Peter Smith) is a supporter.

Even when Omari was shown evidence for past racist comments made by Chris Saccoccia he chose to downplay and ignore them.


These comments were made on an anti-mask spoof page

I'm not one to judge who someone calls a friend, but would it be out of line to suggest that maybe it's not in Omari's best interest to be surrounding himself with so many neo-Nazis?



His call I suppose.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Canadian Proud Boys Embrace "Fashy" Image, Message, and Ideology; POTUS Emboldens American Proud Boys During Debate

As the United States barrel towards an election which may very well decide the future of the democratic experiment in that country, extremists such as the Proud Boys (among others) have ramped up the violence in both rhetoric and action with Portland being one of the key flash points:

While Canada has not yet seen the level of violence associated with their erstwhile American counterparts, the Canadian Proud Boys, after being more or less moribund for a couple of years but for a couple of chapters in Ontario, appears to be growing and spoiling for a fight. 

In Calgary on August 27, Proud Boys showed up to counter-protest a BLM/Defund the Police rally at City Hall:


A member discussed the reason for their presence on Reddit later that week as well as the rationale for carrying an American "Back the Blue" flag:


Based on the Alberta Proud Boy website, it seems that they have difficulty distinguishing the differences between our country and our southern neighbours:


August 27 was the first time, at least to our knowledge, that the Proud Boys had made a public appearance in the province aside from some very brief instances in 2017 and 2018 and those instances were mostly of outsiders. Since this first public appearance they have been busy. On September 22, members left a banner on the pedestrian overpass, eastbound Glenmore by the golf course. Earlier flyers attributed to the Proud Boys were found in Edmonton:


Finally it appears that some people, either members of or affiliated with the Proud Boys, were in attendance at the Red Deer counter-protest on September 20 as evidenced from their Telegram chat which will be referenced frequently through the rest of this article:


The group has also been active in other locations including in Winnipeg where a chapter had existed but which had been for all intents and purposes kicked out of town as well as a number of communities in Ontario:

Winnipeg, MB

Far left: Wayne Skorodenski.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights Held a March That Was Attended by Fascists

On Saturday September 12 the Canadian Coalition for Firearms rights organized a march in Ottawa. It was attended by probably between 2000-3000 people.

Also credit to the CCFR for promoting the use of masks and social distancing for the event.

The rally was a decent size but it's important to point out that it was attended by some members of the Canadian far-right. Neo-nazis Paul Fromm and Thomas Liko were both in attendance.

Fresh off of his court case where he plead guilty to assault with a weapon, the unlikeable Chris Vanderweide attended in full boogaloo gear and wearing his weapon of choice on his head. Chris was bleating on his megaphone, but I think the CCFR people told him to give it a rest. He was accompanied by Leigh Stewart. Rick Boswick and Wayne Peters were also there.

Chris Vanderweide speaking with Rick Boswick

Sunday, September 06, 2020

More Overt Racism In Calgary Soldiers of Odin Chapter

On August 29 two rallies took place in the city of Calgary. One was a BLM/Defund the Police rally at city hall which, despite attempts to harass and antagonize the participants by Jeff Clayton, Proud Boys, members of the tiny (and ridiculously named) Woke Onez Rebellion, and others, went off without a hitch.

Elsewhere in the city the local contingent of Yellow Vesters held their weekly rally which has over the course of several months morphed into what is for all intents and purposes a QAnon and anti-mask rally flavoured with an unhealthy dose of anti-immigrant rhetoric.



Among this group were members of the Calgary and Central Alberta chapters of the Soldiers of Odin.


As a brief aside I have never really understood why groups like the SoO, Northern Guard, Urban Infidels, or any of the other quasi-biker, anti-immigrant, militias think they look cool being photographed from behind like this. These photos always make them look like they have inadvertently stumbled across something that has totally befuddled them.


See what I mean? Sean Telford (Central Alberta SoO leader) here probably believes he looks like a sentinel, stoically standing on guard against threats both foreign and domestic.

I see someone who is confused as to why there is a body of water in front of him.

Or perhaps someone who is just bewildered by the CONCEPT of water in which case, as it can exist as a solid, liquid, and gas, fair point.

We haven't written much about the SoO since the departure of our blog's founder in January mainly because it really is spent force. Most of the former SoO members appear to have found themselves drifting into other similar leather vest fetish groups, the most significant being the Northern Guard with a number of lesser groups containing a handful of members. Alberta however is sort of a special case as the SoO out of Calgary and Central Alberta (Red Deer) are still quite active.

Confused by windows and LED lights?
Perplexed by windows and LED lights?

As such we thought we would take a quick look at some of the key figures in the Calgary and Central Alberta groups to determine if they are indeed the civic-minded folk they claim they are.

The original president of the Calgary chapter of the SoO was this fella.

Given that the SoO had been founded by an overt Finnish neo-Nazi and the Calgary chapter confirmed their allegiance to the Finnish mother chapter what was learned about Dale Caldwell from a quick look at both his Facebook and original VK profiles wasn't in the least surprising.

Suffice it to say he isn't a fan of ARC.


Caldwell doesn't appear to be especially active with the SoO these days so his status as the leader is up in their air, however he appears to be friendly with current members of the gang including the then vice-president and seemingly current defacto leader of the gang Terry Lefranc.


Lefranc too has a VK profile where he is much more overt in his beliefs.


Another member of the Calgary SoO is Daniel Loree.

Stupefied by fences.
Stumped by mountains.
Discombobulated by urinals
Loree with former SoO members, now Urban Infidels, Steven Lane and Al Bitz

He too is much more open on VK.



Now we've made a point of highlighting the VK groups that these three are members of. For example Loree is a member of this group.


Really subtle.

All three men are members of this group.



There is a fourth member of the Calgary SoO who should also be mentioned here, though it looks like she is moving to Edmonton (if she isn't there already).

Flummoxed by small crowds.


Puzzled by still ponds.

I could go on all day.

Sheila is Terry Lefranc's partner, or rather she was his partner. At least that is our reading of her posts.

A few years ago she posted the following missive complaining about people who believe the SoO and, by extension, herself is a racist group (which, by the way, it clearly is).


She too has a VK profile and, while not as overt as Caldwell, Lefranc, and Loree, is still telling.



The Canadian Nationalists group which is now defunct was a project of Kevin Goudreau.


As for the NPD, that's this German political party.

Germany’s National Democratic Party (Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands or NPD) is a far-right political party that advocates racist, anti-Semitic, and anti-Muslim views. According to the German intelligence service, the NPD rejects the concept of liberal democracy. The NPD is hostile towards both the United States and Israel. The party is opposed to multiculturalism and is concerned about the “foreign infiltration” (Überfremdung) of Germany, namely the perceived Americanization and Islamization of German society. The NPD considers the presence of immigrants in Germany—regardless of whether they hold German citizenship—to be an attack on the German ethnic community (Volksgemeinschaft) and advocates deporting immigrants to their respective countries of origin.


Now in a future article we'll be looking at other chapters of the SoO in Alberta, but we think we've managed to do a good job framing the group so we'll save all that for later.