Countering fascism: reflection on “Hope Not Hate” Rally

 

On October 25, community members from various London-based organizations held a counter-demonstration to a planned “Canada First” rally. The anti-immigrant rally was organized by a far-right group centred in the east end of Toronto and their associates in the Second Sons, a white nationalist men’s-only fraternity. The rally in London was one of a series of demonstrations held concurrently in Toronto, Halifax, and Calgary. While the demonstration largely proceeded without any violence, a number of interesting observations were made by both new and veteran anti-fascist organizers. Counter-protestors saw their 4-hour standoff against the protesters not just as a victory against hate; rather, as the mark of a disturbing trend towards the reemergence of open fascist organizing in London.

London has long been known as a nexus of hate organizations. From the historic Klu Klux Klan, founded after the fall of the United States Confederacy to the activities of the Northern Alliance in the 2000s, and the recent murder of the Afzaal family in 2021; the organizing potential of neo-nazis and their offshoots continues to be a threat to the London community. With recent groups like Second Sons adopting a covert approach to operations, they manifest the values of preparedness and willingness to fight. Namely, in their capacity to organize so-called “Active Clubs,” where members train in fighting styles inspired by the street politics of the Rise Above Movement that surged to prominence during the first Trump era. Existing as a decentralized network of cells to be activated at any moment, they are able to act on any whim—from a banner drop to an organized attack on targeted communities.This stands in contrast to the previous approaches of the 2010s far-right which emphasized organized protests intended to provoke reactions, with easily identifiable uniforms, and a more or less centralized structure. 

Though one could be forgiven for thinking that this decentralized, “hidden” white supremacy embodied by their use of masks represents a retreat in the fascist creep, it is easily recognizable as a new pathway for young disenfranchised white men to join into a cause that they are readily accepted into. The fracturing of the white nationalist movement following the deadly events of Charlottesville in 2017 was visible even here in London as PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West)—an avowed Christian nationalist group with roots in Europe—saw their numbers rapidly drop as counter-demonstrations limited their freedom of action. We now see Canada First and Second Sons represent the latest in coordination between more generic far-right nationalist groups that appeal to populist sentiments and their white supremacist allies who act as more violent and masked enforcement.  (more...)

Countering fascism: reflection on “Hope Not Hate” Rally