'Anti-Hate' group gets more $$ from Trudeau gov't

by George J. Dance 

The so-called "Canadian Anti-Hate Network" (CAHN) is back in the news – or would be, if Canadian media ever reported objectively on the group. In any case, this summer the CAHN received two new grants, totaling more than $600,000, from the federal Liberal government. In June, it received more than $400,000 from the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program of Heritage Canada:

Informing, Connecting, and Encouraging Anti-Hate Activities in Canada | Canadian Anti-Hate Network: 

June 18, 2024 - The Canadian Anti-Hate Network has received a $440,000 grant to help good neighbours find each other and organize against hate.... We are launching a new project, titled Informing, Connecting, and Encouraging Anti-Hate Activities In Canada, which has been made possible thanks to the support of Canadian Heritage and a grant from the Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program.  The CSMARI program provides funding for projects that increase capacity within communities to address racism and discrimination....

We will launch a communications campaign involving some traditional advertising and by working with content creators on newer social media platforms.... We will also hold townhalls to connect community members and organizations to exchange knowledge and organize against hate together.This project is funded for two years, ending on November 30, 2025, for a total of $440,000. We are looking for additional funding to add an additional team member and expand the communications campaign to blanket Canada....

Read more: https://www.antihate.ca/informing_connecting_and_encouraging_anti_hate_activities_in_canada

In July, CAHN  received a further $200,000 from Public Safety Canada: 

Canadian Anti-Hate Network Receives Funding From Public Safety Canada's Community Resilience Fund | Canadian Anti-Hate Network:

July 10, 2024 - "The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) will be hiring an established researcher to develop a framework to carry out studies on the far-right landscape in Canada.... The Creating an Ethical Framework for Research on Far-Right Organizing in Canada project is possible thanks to $200,000 in funding over two years under Public Safety Canada's Community Resilience Fund (CRF). Led by Public Safety's Canada Center for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence, the CRF provides financial support to organizations working to improve Canada's understanding and capacity to prevent and counter violent extremism."

Read more: https://www.antihate.ca/canadian_anti_hate_network_receives_funding_from_public_safety_canada_s_community_resilience_fund

Who are these people? According to the official description on their website, CAHN is just a group opposed to "hate" in general: 

Who We Are | Canadian Anti-Hate Network:

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network is an independent, nonprofit organization made up of Canada’s leading experts and researchers on hate groups and hate crimes. Our Advisory Committee includes academics like Dr. Barbara Perry, court-recognized experts on hate crimes, lawyers with decades of experience with hate groups, people who stood up to the neo-Nazi Heritage Front in the 1990s, and leaders in communities that are being targeted by hate.

We have relationships with colleagues and organizations doing similar work internationally, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, and experts in deradicalisation.

Our mandate is to monitor, research, and counter hate groups by providing education and information on hate groups to the public, media, researchers, courts, law enforcement, and community groups.

https://www.antihate.ca/about

What's not to like? Aren't we all opposed to "hate" no matter the source? However, other articles on the website (including the following job posting) indicate that CAHN's actual mandate is somewhat different from that: 

Hiring: Researcher With Human Subject Research Ethics Background | Canadian Anti-Hate Network:

July 10, 2024 - About the Organization 

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network is an independent, non-partisan non-profit organization with a mandate to counter, monitor, and expose far-right and white supremacist movements, groups, and individuals with every legal, ethical, and reasonable tool at our disposal.  

Read more: https://www.antihate.ca/hiring_researcher_with_human_subject_research_ethics_background

In other words, the CAHN actually has two "mandates" - a public one, to monitor and research "hate groups" in general, and an internally-used one to counter the "far right" with any tool at their disposal. This dual mandate makes the CAHN sound similar to the U.S.-based Southern Poverty Law Centre – and, indeed, Wikipedia notes that CAHN "is modelled after and supported by the American Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)." The SPLC is a fundraising site which grifts quite successfully off leftist fears of what Hillary Clinton called the "vast right-wing conspiracy" While the SPLC may well do some good, that good is more than balanced off by the harm caused by two of its tendencies: 

(1) to counter, 'expose' and oppose any and all right-wing groups, regardless of aims and tactics, as "far right"; and 

(2) to completely ignore hateful and violent activity on the left.

The same for the CAHN;  while it may have certainly have done some good, by exposing some bad actors, it is principally known for three actions that reflect these same flaws and biases. 

(1a) The CAHN was the source for the story that the Freedom Convoy was a "far-right" movement that aimed to violently overthrown the Canadian government. This propaganda narrative undoubtedly influenced the Liberal government, preventing it from even talking to the Convoy protestors, thereby prolonging the protests; and ultimately resultomg in the unconstitutional overreach of the Emergencies Act. 

(1b) The CAHN was also the source of the story that a Nova Scotia shock-jock podcaster, Jeremy Mackenzie, was the head of a secret militia group, "Diagolon," that was plotting acts of terrorism. As a result of these allegations, Mackenzie was hit with a blizzard of charges, and spent literal months in prison, for charges that ultimately resulted in not eveb one conviction – what looks like a clear case of lawfare being waged against an innocent Canadian private citizen.    

(2a) On the other hand, CAHN was conspicuous by its absence in condemning the Soros-backed anti-Israel protests that have plagued Canada since October. This failure to condemn even the worst occupations, threats, genocidal chants, and even outright violence, was duly noted and condemned, and may have led to the resignation of CAHN's CEO, Bernie Farber. (Farber remains on CAHN's board, as "Founding Chair Emeritus.") 

There is, though, one major difference between SPLC and CAHN. While the former is simply takes advantage of private dupes who waste their money on it, CAHN also feeds out of the tax trough. They have received at least $500,000 from the federal government in the past, and have also applied (though not been accepted) for permanent funding. That makes them worth keeping an eye on in the future. I doubt that this will be the last time I shall write about them.                                                                       

Trudeau's Diagolon stories malicious fabrications, says Diagolon's creator

Jeremy MacKenzie, creator of the internet meme country Diagolon, denies any connection with either Pierre Poilievre or the carbon tax protest at the Nova Scotia border, calling Prime Minister Trudeau's claims about him and Diagolon "malicious fabrications" based on a "fantasy narrative." 

Diagolon founder denies ties with Conservatives despite Trudeau’s accusations | True North | Clayton DeMaine:

May 1, 2024 - "Jeremy Mackenzie, the creator of the internet meme country Diagolon, denied Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claims that he and the Conservative Party of Canada or its leader Pierre Poilievre are connected in any way. 'The CPC has no connections or affiliations with myself or anyone involved in my circles,' Mackenzie said on his podcast. 'These claims by the Liberals are an outright and deliberately malicious fabrication in a desperate and pathetic attempt to sway support away from the Conservative Party’s momentum that appears overwhelmingly likely to crush the Liberals'... 

"The claims, spurred on by Trudeau, came after Poilievre visited a legal carbon-tax protest encampment on the side of a highway in an Atlantic Canada border town. The flag of Mackenzie’s made-up country can be seen on the door of a camper Poilievre entered. The Prime Minister accused Poilievre of meeting with Diagolon, and has since continued to levy accusations of 'courting white supremacists' and 'conspiracy theorists.' The protesters denied any connection to Diagolon and told True North the drawing was made by someone who stopped in one time to get warm at the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa and was never seen again.

"Mackenzie confirmed their claims. He said he asked Sam Field, who according to Mackenzie owns the trailer, to remove the drawing 'immediately.'  '(The carbon-tax protest Pierre visited) was born out of a small orbit of perennial freedom protesters seemingly cornerbacked by Mr. Sam Fields,' he said. Mackenzie said he has no relationship or recollection of any interaction with Fields. 

'My partner Morgan (Guptill) doodled a Diagolon flag on his trailer door over two years ago, during the Ottawa protest action meant as a friendly gesture of support, and nothing more.... There is no connection between myself, Morgan, or any of the more prominent voices in our makeshift loose-knit community than that. Any connections being made are tenuous at best and purely coincidental. There is no involvement whatsoever.

”Poilievre denounced Mackenzie and Diagolon in September 2022.... In an email to True North, Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for Poilievre said the Conservative leader stands by his disavowal of Diagolon. 'Frankly, like most Canadians, until about a month ago I never heard of Diagolon and these losers. They are all odious,' Poilievre wrote on Sept. 26, 2022. "Mackenzie said he and the Conservative leader do not see eye to eye, and Mackenzie will remain a 'sharp critic' of ... Poilievre.

It is very clear to my audience as well as the CPC I’m sure and Mr. Poilievre himself that we are not mutual friends. There’s a very deep and I’m sure mutual disdain for one another.... It is my sincere hope that somehow Mr. Poilievre and his team will succeed in proving me to be impressively incorrect in my assessment of their character....

"The government has often alluded to extremist groups operating within the Freedom Convoy to justify its use of the never-before-used Emergencies Act to crack down on protesters. 'At its core, (Diagolon) is a tightly knit group of like-minded folks who enjoy my podcast and commentary. This government used this fantasy narrative painted by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network to enact the Emergency Measures Act in February 2022,' Mackenzie said....

"The Liberal government gave the Canadian Anti-Hate Network $268,400 in 2022. The group has since asked for $5 million over five years from the government." 

Read more: https://tnc.news/2024/05/01/diagolon-founder-denies-ties-with-conservatives/

Trudeau pushes Poilievre to “condemn” right-wing extremist group Diagolon #politics #Canada | Global News | May 1, 2024:

The tale of Jeremy MacKenzie and Diagolon

This past week, Justin Trudeau has been crossing the country warning about Pierre Poilievre's ties to something called "Diagolon". (For example, see video below, at 0:43-0:50). But how much do most Canadians know about Diagolon and its founder, Jeremy MacKenzie? Where can we learn more about them? No better place to start than this article....

Unmasking Jeremy MacKenzie: A comedy genius or a security threat? | SaskToday | Lisa Joy:

September 19, 2023 - "The federal government believed Canadian Forces veteran Jeremy MacKenzie posed a threat to national security and media outlets labelled him as the leader of a dangerous militia group. But who is Jeremy MacKenzie, and is he just a comedian as he claims, or a security concern? MacKenzie’s supporters say he is a comedian known for his satirical and humorous takes on social and political issues and his controversial statements and actions are part of his comedic persona, rather than indicative of any real-world threats.

“'He's very good for morale,” said Dr. Matt Tucker, a military doctor who got to know MacKenzie when he was stationed on the same base.... 'He’s what we call a morale raiser. Not everybody's going to understand this kind of humour. Not everybody's going to appreciate it.' Likewise, Peter Kitto, a trauma counsellor for veterans, law enforcement, and emergency responders, and who is one of MacKenzie’s supporters, said his dark humour keeps many from putting a gun in their mouth.... 

"MacKenzie was a 15-year-old high school student when the airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings in New York on 9/11. As he watched the terror unfold, that’s when he knew he wanted to join the army to protect his country.... At 17 he enlisted and by the age of 20 he was deployed to Afghanistan. He was an infantry non-commissioned officer and was with the elite Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.... Twenty-seven men were killed during MacKenzie’s deployment. Seven of them were his close friends.... 

"MacKenzie was stationed in Germany and the United Arab Emirates. He trained soldiers in Jamaica and participated in exchange programs with the U.S. Marines.... After 14-and-a-half years, Master Corporal MacKenzie retired from the military, a decorated soldier. He received the Sacrifice Medal, ...  a general campaign star from the Afghanistan war and a Canadian Forces decoration for more than 12 years of service with a spotless record....

"After returning from combat, MacKenzie felt betrayed by the Canadian government and the Canadian Armed Forces for their treatment of veterans. That anger and rage is evident in his podcast under the name Raging Dissident. He jokes that listeners have to be f***** up to appreciate his humour.

"In 2020, MacKenzie came to Saskatchewan from Nova Scotia and had only planned on staying a couple of weeks but then COVID-19 lockdowns happened so he ended up living here for two to three years.... It was during this time that MacKenzie came up with the idea of ... 'Diagolon,' a fictitious country in a parallel universe and used it as an analytical commentary on current events and politics. 

"He said he had noticed that Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Alaska, along with the Mid-Western states of Texas, Florida, South Dakota, formed a geographical diagonal line of states and provinces that resisted federal government-imposed mandates....'I kind of found it amusing that there was this kind of geographical divide,' he said. 

"He then created the “Diagolon” flag on his cell phone and it became a symbol of his podcast. The vice-president of Diagolon was a cocaine-addicted, time-travelling goat named King Phillip. Diagolon was at war with 'Circulon.' Bees were bred to terrorize Diagolon’s enemies and a bee, Jeffrey, died in a kamikaze mission when he was swallowed by Doug Ford during a press conference. Diagolon had capital punishment. During game show hypothetical executions, in 'Dumpster Toss' someone is tossed from a tall building into a dumpster. Then there’s 'Torn Apart by Wolves' where the accused is put on an iceberg with hungry wolves. In 'Gun or Rope,' spectators get to choose between a firing squad or the gallows. The game show portions of MacKenzie’s podcasts ... were soon taken as 'evidence' that MacKenzie and Diagolon were promoting violence. MacKenzie, however, thought it was self-evident that Diagolon was a joke.

"It seems the RCMP didn’t perceive Diagolon as a group, a militia, or a security threat. 'Diagolon does not pose a criminal or national security threat,' said the RCMP. 'The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) is cited as the main authority on the group by all mainstream media outlets; due to the fact that all information traces back to one source, triangulation and the verification of facts is almost impossible at the current time.'

"Before long, others not seeing that Diagolon was a joke became the joke, said investigative journalist and Ontario lawyer Caryma Sa’d. MacKenzie ... egged on the media to sensationalize Diagolon – and they took the bait. In November 2021, Jeremy circulated a group photo taken at a family barbecue in Viscount, Saskatchewan. The photo showed masked men with hunting rifles and the Diagolon flag.... MacKenzie posted it to social media and put “redacted” over everyone’s eyes.... He said he thought there was 'an outside chance' that someone in the media would take the photo, which they did and called it a militia training camp. 'No one's really interested in hearing my side of anything,' he said, adding that no media had ever called him to ask for his version. 'They just kind of played this crazy game of telephone. And it just got more and more insane as time went on.' 

"And it did get more insane.... On Feb. 14, 2022, the federal government invoked the never-before used Emergencies Act largely because of Diagolon’s perceived threat to national security. After invoking the Emergencies Act, then Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino, told reporters: 'Several individuals at Coutts have strong ties to a far-right organization [ie, Diagolon] with leaders who are in Ottawa.'... 

"Sa’d had attended the POEC inquiry and said that Diagolon seemed to play a big role in the use of the Emergencies Act. 'There were a number of factors that the commissioner identified as warranting the Emergencies Act but I do think (Diagolon) was a big part of it. Diagolon was a thread that appeared woven throughout.' Sa’d said that MacKenzie had never been to Coutts and wasn’t in communication with any of the accused leading up to their arrest.

"In fact, numerous videos played at the POEC inquiry showed MacKenzie urging all of his Diagolon fans to remain peaceful during the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa. At one point during the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, MacKenzie said he became concerned about some individuals who could potentially become violent and he had called the RCMP to notify them, the inquiry heard. No one followed up on his concerns.

"In September 2022, a Canada-wide warrant was issued for MacKenzie’s arrest. He was arrested in Nova Scotia and flown back to Saskatchewan to face charges of assault, pointing a firearm, using a restricted weapon in a careless manner, and mischief. In August [2023], all of the charges were stayed in Saskatoon Provincial Court. MacKenzie believes that he was targeted and questions the timing of the charges being laid and flown to Saskatchewan on a national warrant. 'A lot of people's eyebrows were raised about that,” he said. 'And I was denied bail. Right? I have no record. And there's no reason to do this'....

"He said when he was arrested, the media acted like they had captured Osama bin Laden.... 'They flew me out to Saskatoon in ankle chains and wrist chains and belly chains on an RCMP flight with four or five cops like I’m Pablo Escobar,' said MacKenzie. 'It was crazy. And, you know, there was a stabbing, or killing at one of the clubs downtown in in Saskatoon where a woman killed another woman and she was out on bail the next day. It really felt like I was being treated a little differently than some other people.' It took two months before MacKenzie was finally granted bail....

"Kitto said that he spoke with MacKenzie several times while he was on remand at the Saskatoon Provincial Correctional Centre.... Kitto said that MacKenzie was falsely targeted as a white supremacist and housed with Indigenous street gangs. Kitto said white supremacy is so foreign to MacKenzie’s knowledge and experience.... Kitto said the term 'racist' is overused in today’s cancel culture and he doesn’t consider MacKenzie a racist. 'Everybody’s a racist. That’s the new tag right? If you have an opinion on something well you’re a racist. It’s just being created to divide'.

"When Dr. Tucker watched as the media portrayed MacKenzie as a terrorist and a security threat, he was flabbergasted. 'I thought it was a bit ridiculous. I was taken aback. I mean, listen, and can I say this? I'll be honest with you because I know you work for the media and I don't mean this to be offensive in any way, but I, like a lot of people who have been in the military, have not been a huge fan necessarily of the media at all times. But I never expected anything like that. You know what I mean? I just thought it was crazy. I was like, this isn't the person that I know'....

"Kitto said the media and the government needed a boogeyman and they found one in MacKenzie. 'It was just laughable,' said Kitto. 'It's just incredible to speculate that all these guys (Diagolon fans) have a hidden agenda, and they're just using humour to cover it up. Like, OK, where's the secret bases? Where's the training facilities? Where's the membership? It's just absolutely laughable. That's a joke in itself.'"

Read more: https://www.sasktoday.ca/crime-cops-court/unmasking-jeremy-mackenzie-a-comedy-genius-or-a-security-threat-7557738

Trudeau rips Poilievre for not condemning Alex Jones' endorsement | CTV News | April 24, 2024:

Millions of Canadians believe far-right conspiracy theories, claims Canadian Anti-Hate Network

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network claims that as many as six million Canadians believe "one or more" far-right conspiracy theories, and wants $2.5 million a year from the federal government to monitor them. 

Canadian Anti-Hate Network claims 6 million Canadians conspiracy theorists | Western Standard | Christopher Oldcorn:

September 24, 2023 - "According to a 'media monitor' that receives federal subsidies, approximately 15% of Canadians are considered conspiracy theorists, as many as six million people. According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network believes it needs additional financial support to combat those who aim to 'do away with our liberal democracy.' 

The Red Ensign, Canada's flag before 1965, is a hate symbol, says 

the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. Photo, Wikimedia Commons.

"'We believe 10% to 15% of Canadians are consuming far-right content and believe in one or more far-right conspiracy theories,' the Network wrote in a submission to the Commons Finance committee. It provided no source for the claim....  The Network applied for $5 million in funding over five years to serve as an unofficial 'anti-hate watchdog' for the Government of Canada.

"'None of the government’s programs explicitly name the far-right as a threat to Canada’s democracy and marginalized groups,” it wrote the Finance committee. 'None of them fund efforts to address the far-right movement as a significant origin of hate in Canada. We need to address the far right because it wants to do away with our liberal democracy.'

"The Network [has] received two grants, one for $268,400 to maintain its website and another separate grant of $268,400 to produce a school guide, Confronting and Preventing Hate in Canadian Schools. On June 29, 2022, then-Diversity Minister Ahmed Hussen called the Network 'an organization that I respect very much.'

"The Network’s school guide called the 'Red Ensign' a hate symbol, despite it being Canada's national symbol until 1965. .... [T]he guide stated the Conservative Party was susceptible to 'infiltration' by 'racists' and 'white nationalists.' Additionally, the guide cautioned children to be cautious of Canadians who use 'free speech' in political discussions, as it claimed this was one of the 'common defences of hate propaganda.'

"In its Finance committee submission, the Network described the Freedom Convoy as a 'product of Canada’s far-right movement'.... 'The COVID-19 conspiracy movement and Freedom Convoy have since pivoted to attacking the (sexual minority) community primarily by spreading the dangerous and inciting lie that transgender persons and sexual minority persons are pedophiles with an agenda,' wrote the Network. 'Today they are targeting school boards and trying to ban books, force students to use the wrong washrooms and force teachers to out the gender and sexual identity of their students to what might be unsafe homes.'"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/canadian-anti-hate-network-claims-6-million-canadians-conspiracy-theorists/article_dc0a1cee-5983-11ee-9aa1-53a564e310ae.html

Ontario unions organize to disrupt parents' march

Ontario unions are organizing to take urgent action against the planned parental rights protest March on September 20.   

Unions plan disruption, counter-protests against Wednesday parents march | Western Standard | Lee Harding:

September 15, 2023 - "The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is strategizing on how to counteract the million-person march Wednesday. On September 11, OFL President Patty Coates sent an email to the OFL executive board, executive council, union heads, committees, coalitions, and community partners. Its notice read, 'Urgent Action Required: Rapid Response to September 20th Canada-Wide (anti-sexual minority) Protests.' 

"The email warned, 'the ultra-conservative right have planned nationwide events to protest teaching (sexual minority) content in schools under the guise of protecting children.' Although the rallying cry is entitled, 'A day to unite all religions in the defence of children against (sexual minority) indoctrination in Canadian schools,' Coates took a different view. 'We know that far from protecting students this will hurt them in so many ways,' she wrote. 'In this time of unprecedented hate and emboldened anger against so many people, it is time now, more than ever, for labour to show up as allies to protect targets of hate and bigotry wherever they may be.'

"The email said the one million person march protests were planned for Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Kitchener, Niagara Falls, London, Windsor, Orangeville, Barrie, Sudbury, Whitby, Ottawa and 'the list keeps on growing.'

"'We must make our voices louder and the message heard that there is no place for hate in our province,' Coates wrote. 'The OFL encourages all leaders/heads of unions to join with labour councils and community groups to organize workers and communities to form rapid response teams who can show up on the 20th at the locations listed and counter this rhetoric and these lies'.... Coates invited recipients to join her at a strategy meeting on the morning of Friday September 15 to 'draft a system to ensure that no city in Ontario where an event is planned is left unchallenged. Let’s work to broadcast the message that no groups will be left alone'....

"The million person march is the initiative of Muslim activist Kamel El-Cheikh. Hundreds of Muslim parents gathered in Ottawa June 9 and 13 to protest sexual minority education in schools. In September, Prime Minister Trudeau told an audience at a mosque in Calgary that 'people on social media, particularly fueled by the American right wing' were stirring up such protests."
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/unions-plan-disruption-counter-protests-against-wednesday-parents-march/article_e7bc4f94-532f-11ee-90a3-a37360a254ec.html

Unions declare war on parental rights protest | True North | September 18, 2023:

Hamilton union leader says members will follow parental rights protestors | Western Standard | Jonathan Bradley 

September 18, 2023 - "Hamilton and District Labour Council (HDLC) President Anthony Marco said when protestors gather in a parking lot to participate in the One Million March for Children, it 'has got a couple seasoned activists who are willing to go over and take some pictures of licence plates'.... He said these HDLC members will be showing parental rights protestors they 'know they are being watched, that they are not doing this in secret, that people are noticing what they’re up to'.... As a person, he said it is not an action he plans on doing or has ever done....

"The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) blasted the One Million March on Friday for wanting to stop sexual minority topics from being discussed in schools. The CAHN said these protests are supported by far-right and conspiratorial groups, including Christian nationalists, COVID-19 conspiracy theorists, sovereigntists and anti-public education activists. It said there are at least two brands involved in the One Million March. Hands Off Our Kids and Family Loves Freedom are organizing under #1MillionMarch4Children. 
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/updated-hamilton-union-leader-says-members-will-follow-parental-rights-protestors/article_8e9c3d92-5641-11ee-badb-8fc07ec92968.html

Canadian Anti-Hate Network loses libel suit

Jon Kay's legal victory exposes Canadian Anti-Hate Network's anti-conservative agenda | National Post - Jamie Sarkonak:

November 24, 2022 - "A recent decision by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has given Canadians yet another reason to question the federal government’s relationship with the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN). On Nov. 10, the court dismissed a defamation lawsuit launched by lawyer Richard Warman, also a board member of CAHN. Warman sued journalists Jonathan and Barbara Kay for tweets that criticized CAHN’s links to the Antifa movement in the United States, which has been covered by C2C Journal and The Federalist (the Kays did not name Warman himself in their tweets). In the end, the judge ruled that the tweets weren’t defamatory, which meant the Kays wouldn’t be liable.

"Even if the tweets did meet the legal threshold to be considered defamatory, the Kays would have been saved by the legal defences available. The judge said that the statements made had the benefit of being true, noting that, 'CAHN did in fact assist Antifa and that the movement has been violent'.... Additionally, the judge concluded the defence of fair comment could apply, meaning the opinions expressed by the Kays could be reasonably drawn from the known facts.... The judge noted that even 'Warman’s evidence was that he and CAHN were part of the Antifa movement,' and its 'muscular resistance' and 'physical disruption' were known to two other board members.

"The decision tells us two things: that there are members of CAHN who are willing to use the legal system to silence its critics, and that there is a relationship between CAHN and the Antifa movement. It’s yet another indicator that the Government of Canada — particularly the Department of Canadian Heritage — should distance itself from the organization.

"CAHN has received government funding in the past, including a grant of $268,400 to participate in an 'anti-racism action program' from October 2020 to March 2022. The grant agreement, obtained through an access to information request, shows that the money was used to hire additional staff members, facilitate workshops, write articles about hate groups (CAHN covers everyone from far-right neo-nazis to conservative-leaning school board candidates)  and engage on social media.

"A 'recommendation for ministerial approval' form (also obtained through an access to information request) ... described the expected outcomes:  'This project will increase the organization’s capacity to counter online hate by hiring four team members to carry out the monitoring of extreme-right groups, report on their activities and file complaints with law enforcement ... and will share information through 10,000 Facebook and Twitter followers.' Reporting citizens to police wasn’t an expectation written into the final grant agreement, but it’s concerning that paying a third-party group to investigate people for the purpose of initiating criminal investigations was on the table in the first place....

"In March 2022 — the month the government grant was set to expire — Canadian Heritage created an advisory group to help it craft its online censorship legislation. Among the appointees was Bernie Farber, chair of the CAHN.... The recommendations were released on June 15, 2022. A couple weeks later, the Government of Canada and CAHN launched an 'anti-hate toolkit' for use in schools — a project that was supported by the Canadian Heritage grant. The toolkit’s focus was on far-right radicalization (it should be noted that far-left radicalization and Islamic radicalization, which have also been problems in Canada, were not mentioned in it).

"Among other things, the toolkit outlined problematic behaviours in students that should be reported to teachers and corrected, including displaying the Red Ensign (Canada’s former flag), the use of various memes and supporting unsavoury politicians like former U.S. president Donald Trump.... The toolkit is very much a political document that primarily targets the far-right. But in doing so, it goes after mild traditionalism, classical liberal stances on social policy and mainstream conservative values, as well....

"[CAHN] is a politically motivated group that is now recognized by a court to be associated with Antifa, and has no qualms about accusing mainstream conservatives of being racist and using the legal system to try to silence them. It’s free to advocate for whatever it wants, but the federal government shouldn’t be using the group to push fundamentally illiberal views on the limits of free speech in a free and democratic society."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/jon-kays-legal-victory-exposes-canadian-anti-hate-networks-anti-conservative-agenda

MP Dane Lloyd Grills Canadian Anti-Hate Network for Hate Hoax against Freedom Convoy,  Clyde Do Something, Apr. 28, 2022:

Coutts Alberta residents question police narrative

On Feb. 14, 2022, the RCMP arrested 14 Freedom Convoy protesters in Coutts, AB, charging 4 with conspiracy to murder police - which the Trudeau government used to justify invoking the Emergencies Act that day. But some who know the men aren't buying the official narrative.

‘Somebody Planted the Guns’: In Canada, a Raided, Distrusting Village Blames the Police | New York Times - Catherine Porter:

September 24, 2022 - ""So pervasive is the belief here that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a dictator-in-the-making that ... many residents of the village, Coutts, Alberta, think the biggest event that occurred here in recent memory — when the police raided a local home in February and revealed a frightening cache of weapons — was a hoax perpetrated by the police to silence an antigovernment protest.... 'It may have been a conspiracy,' said Bill Emerson, who for four decades has lived across the street from the home the police raided....

"The police raid came during the time of Canada’s Freedom Convoy, which began as a movement by truckers to challenge a government vaccination mandate but spread to include a wide array of antigovernment grievances. The stark contrast between the mainstream account of what happened — the police disarming a small group of protesters with violent intentions — and the conspiracy-fueled one — a government attempt to demonize the protesters — reflects a burgeoning polarization of Canadian society....

"The Freedom Convoy movement — that aimed at one point to replace the federal government with a ruling committee including protesters, [not true - gd] and which Mr. Trudeau dismissed as a 'fringe minority' with 'unacceptable views' — is hardly a fringe. Months later, it garners the support of one in four Canadians, according to a recent poll, and some of its beliefs have entered mainstream politics. 'We have crossed a Rubicon, and there ain’t no going back,' said Evan Balgord, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. 'Canada hasn’t faced something like this, especially not in a long time. How do we deal with a movement that wants to dismantle democracy?'

Coutts, Alberta (upper) and Sweet Grass, Montana. Aerial photo by Joe Mabel, 2013. CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

"Coutts is a small border village 185 miles southeast of Calgary.... Before last winter, the village’s faint claim to fame was a mention by President Obama of its baseball fields, which nose right up against the international border.... Then, one frigid day last winter, hundreds of tractor-trailers and trucks rumbled down the highway to the village’s edge and stopped, blocking all lanes leading to the normally busy border crossing. They were a splinter group of the Freedom Convoy.... In Coutts, the village’s only bar, shuttered by the pandemic [restrictions - gd], was reopened to be their headquarters.

"All the while, scores of provincial police, members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, kept watch. Over 17 days, 552 officers were assigned to the village of just 224, according to the mayor. On the fourteenth evening of protest, when a local church was holding a Sunday service in the bar, the police arrived in full military gear, wielding automatic weapons, and arrested two men in the crowd. Later that night, they executed a search warrant on a house, where a local woman was hosting many protesters. Over a few hours, the police arrested 14 people. Most were charged with mischief over 5,000 Canadian dollars, or about $3,700, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. But four men face a far more serious charge — conspiracy to commit murder, which carries a potential life-in-prison sentence.

"Undercover officers witnessed the set up of what they believed to be a delivery of guns to Coutts, search warrants reveal.... A photo of the cache of weapons [police] seized included rifles, handguns, high capacity magazines, ammunition and bullet proof vests. All four of the men charged with conspiracy to commit murder are middle-aged, blue collar workers from Southern Alberta. A day before the police raid, one of them, Jerry Morin, recorded a video on Facebook, calling his friends to Coutts to help 'hold the line.' 'There’s no excuses,' said Mr. Morin, a 40-year-old who installs and repairs electrical lines. 'This is war'....

"The day of the raid, [the Trudeau] government passed a sweeping emergency bill, granting police wide powers to arrest protesters, and instructing banks to freeze accounts linked to the convoy. Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino pointed to Coutts as part of the justification.... 

"Marco Van Huigenbos, the main leader of the Coutts protest, is so convinced that at least two of the four men are not guilty, he is subsidizing their families with 10,000 Canadian dollars a month. The money is from leftover funds raised in Coutts.... 'They are using these guys to send a message,' said Mr. Huigenbos, a town councilor and business owner from nearby Fort Macleod, who himself was recently charged with mischief over 5,000 Canadian dollars. 'There is political influence here.'"

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/24/world/canada/freedom-convoy-coutts-alberta.html

Freedom Convoy was recruiting tool for 'Hate' groups, says gov't-funded 'Anti-Hate' group

Anti-hate experts urge action against right-wing extremism in Canada |  IHeartRadio - Judy Trinh, CTV News:

September 16, 2022 - "Anti-hate experts are urging policy makers to take action against what they describe as growing right-wing extremism in Canada. One of these experts says research suggests that millions of Canadians have been drawn into the far right over the course of the pandemic, some of whom have been indoctrinated by misinformation and lies that were then amplified by the Freedom Convoy. 

"Evan Balgord, the executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, says the convoy’s organizers were able to successfully use the month-long February protest to recruit vaccine-hesitant people into their movement. 'They were now rubbing shoulders with, you know, racists and bigots and people who would like to use violence to overthrow the government. A portion of those people are getting further radicalized'....

"Balgord says the movement’s ideas are entrenched in the mainstream. Balgord, whose organization tracked right-wing groups and monitored their activities and influence, ... estimates that there are now 10 to 15 per cent of Canadians who hold far right views, which encompass a wide range of extremist opinions including anti-government and anti-science perspectives along with racist and homophobic beliefs. Some of them may not consider themselves racist, but they are giving cover to extremists, he says....

"The Conservative Party of Canada’s new leader, Pierre Poilievre, has embraced convoy supporters and marched with a Canadian soldier who refused to be vaccinated.... Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was ambushed by a Freedom Convoy supporter who verbally assaulted her."
Read more: https://www.iheartradio.ca/ctv-news-content/anti-hate-experts-urge-action-against-right-wing-extremism-in-canada-1.18502735

Canadian Anti-Hate Network executive director Evan Balgord on Freedom Convoy | CBC News, The National | Janiary 28, 2022:

Government of Canada and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network launch Anti-Hate toolkit for Canadian schools | Canadian Heritage (news release):

June 29, 2022 - "Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, joined members of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network to launch its new toolkit, Confronting and Preventing Hate in Canadian Schools. This toolkit will provide a comprehensive anti-racism education program to help equip educators, parents and communities better identify, confront and prevent hate in schools across Canada. It was created as part of the network’s project, Containing and Countering Canadian Hate Groups, which monitors and reports on the activities of extreme-right groups.

"The project is funded through the Government of Canada’s Anti-Racism Action Program, which aims to address barriers to employment, justice and social participation among Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities and religions minorities, as well as address online hate and promote digital literacy.... The Government of Canada provided $268,400 through the Anti-Racism Action Program to support the Canadian Anti-Hate Network’s project, Containing and Countering Canadian Hate Groups. 

"Since October 2020, the Anti-Racism Action Program has invested $35 million to support 175 anti-racism projects that aim to remove systemic barriers faced by Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities and religious minorities. Unveiled on June 25, 2019, Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy, represents an investment of close to $100 million, including $70 million to support community organizations across Canada in addressing anti-racism and multiculturalism issues.

"Recognizing that Canada’s fight against racism is far from over, Budget 2022 provides $85 million over four years, starting in 2022-23, to support the launch of a new Anti-Racism Strategy and National Action Plan on Combatting Hate."
Read more: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2022/06/government-of-canada-and-the-canadian-anti-hate-network-launch-anti-hate-toolkit-for-canadian-schools.html

Lockdown protests smeared as "far right"

‘Pandemic of hate’: Leaders, experts warn anti-lockdown protests linked to far right | Globe & Mail - Stephanie Taylor:

May 10, 2021 - "Online conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and protests against public health orders are helping to spread dangerous ideas laden with racism and bigotry, says a network monitoring hate groups in Canada. The executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network said since last year people espousing hateful beliefs have linked themselves to conspiracy and anti-lockdown movements around the novel coronavirus.

“'We have two pandemics: We have the actual pandemic and then we have this pandemic of hate,' Evan Balgord said. 'Things are kind of getting worse both online and offline ... with maybe one pandemic, we have kind of a solution for, but the hate thing, we don’t have a vaccine for that.'

"Federal New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh was the latest on Monday to note a connection between anti-mask and anti-lockdown protests and far-right extremism. His comments came as rallies against COVID-19 health orders are being staged across the country.... 'To brazenly not follow public-health guidelines puts people at risk and that is something that we’ve seen with extreme right-wing ideology,' he told reporters.

"These demonstrations have been met with frustration from some in the public over what they say appears to be a lack of police enforcement, and a few premiers have promised stiffer fines for COVID-19 rule-breakers.

"'The far right has become adept at integrating populist grievances into its own narratives and exploiting them to enhance membership, "said Barbara Perry, director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, in a recent interview. As a result, members of the far right have turned up at virtually all of the recent anti-lockdown gatherings, 'trying to lend their support to that movement, and thereby garner support and sympathy, or solidarity, with their more extreme movement,' she said. 

"Mr. Balgord said such events make for 'fertile hunting' for new recruits because hateful ideas are not being policed, and once someone believes in one conspiracy theory, it’s easy to believe in others. 'We now have a greatly increased number of people who are coming into close contact with racists and bigots of all stripes with more conspiracy theories,' he said.... More recently, he said, some protesters have started showing up with Nazi imagery to depict themselves as being persecuted by the government. 'The racist right that we monitor and the COVID conspiracy movement are inseparable from each other at this point'.... 

"After Mr. Singh’s comments, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet played down the idea of a connection between the protests and far-right extremism, saying arguments suggesting a correlation were politically motivated. 'I am absolutely certain — absolutely certain — that people which have been involved in such discussions in the last hours and days know very well that there could be no link between ... two things that should not be what they are, but are not related,' he said.

"The NDP leader said he sees a link between those refusing to follow public-health advice and the ideologies of the extreme right because both show a disregard for the well-being of others and put people at risk. 'There is a connection, certainly'....

"Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi earlier called such demonstrations 'thinly veiled white nationalist, supremacist anti-government protests' on Global’s 'The West Block'."

Read more: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-pandemic-of-hate-leaders-experts-warn-anti-lockdown-protests-linked-to/