Calgary And The Aryan Guard: Why There?

Crazy thing: some of it [old style anti-Semitism] is being inflamed however tacitly, by some of Israel’s staunchest supporters. Chief among them: the immigration minister himself, Jason Kenney, and good buddy Ezra Levant, flagbearer of the Western Standard.

Unlike other groups in the “movement,” the Guard does not exist completely online, where it’s safer – as long as you’re careful not to contravene anti-hate laws – and easier to reach more people.

These skins are not afraid to show their true colours, taking to the streets at annual “white pride” rallies, tossing Molotov cocktails through the windows of anti-racists (no good communists?), planting a pipe bomb or two on the doorstep of wayward former members.

What makes them think they can get away with it?

Enter Levant. The former Reformer and Canadian Alliance disciple has been flogging that canard pretty hard ever since the Standard, his news and views mag (now online only) republished the infamous Muhammad cartoons in 2006. Talk about stirring an anti-Jewish backlash.

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Is it any wonder then that groups like the Aryan Guard feel some measure of protection from the authorities, despite their blatantly racist views?

I would also note that in the run-up to the passing of Alberta's Bill 44, which would have in its original form rescinded the hate speech provisions from that provinces human rights act--a repeal which Ezra supported enthusiastically--white supremacists were actively trying to recruit followers to the Calgary area, arguing that after 44 passed it would become land of The Free for Neo-Nazis. Only after an Aryan Guard beefed-up with new recruits marched last year did the province back down from the repeal.

They're Back!

Aryan Guard rescinds breakup! Still planning White Pride March in 2010! The Calgary media is a week behind this story, but ARC outlines the stakes pretty clearly:

In all honesty, there is reason to be concerned. Back biting within the remnants of the Aryan Guard with the new "leadership" taking a decidedly violent and threatening tone, all the while in a conflict with the equally violent W.E.B. gang. Both groups claim they will take their, "activism" to the streets and off the Internet. Both groups have people who have been charged with and/or convicted of numerous crimes, including assault and attempted murder. Both groups have stated they will begin targeting minorities in the city of Calgary.

The police need to step up and deal with these people before someone is seriously injured or killed. McKee was building pipe bombs and amassing a supply of weapons. There's no reason to doubt that others in both gangs have done the same. And while their violence might take the form of targeting one another, we do fear for any innocents caught in the cross fire.

ARC On The Case

Nazis fold S.13 constitutional challenge.

Aryan Guard just folds. The Calgary newspapers will be along sometime in February to pick up on this one.

Your Daily Nazi: Remember, They're Just Cuddly Free Speech Heroes

Aryan Guard Founder Kyle McKee Wanted For Attempted Murder

Kudos to ARC for being 24 hours in front of the MSM on this. Remember: repeal S.13, and these guys are the big winners.

Bill 44 Going Through

...because "we're not able to retract", according to Alberta Culture and Community Spirit Minister Lindsay Blackett. However, there may be minor changes to the parental opt-out section, particularly:

11.1(1) A board as defined in the School Act shall provide notice to a parent or guardian of a student where courses of study, educational programs or instructional materials, or instruction or exercises, prescribed under that Act include subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation.

[Teachers] had a problem with the wording . . . when it talks about instruction and instructional materials. Some teachers take that to mean any instruction," said Blackett.

"We're looking at how to clarify that."

Not quite sure what is meant here, but my guess would be the teachers are concerned that parents might be able to request an opt-out where, for example, a biology text containing a chapter on Darwin was being used even though the class in question did not concern that chapter.

Meanwhile, Rob Breakenridge laments. He's quite right that AHRC opponents like Bishop Henry have sold their souls over this bill (which the Bishop supports with caveats), but this part is baloney:

Just when it seemed that public demand and political will would finally result in a reining in of the province's much-maligned human rights regime, the Alberta government has fashioned a resurrection of almost Biblical proportions.

Public demand? Or the demands of a few hundred journalists, fringe righties, and blogosphere scribblers?

You know, one thing politicians know how to do better than anyone is count votes. The Stelmach government looked around and realized that the over-haul of their Human Rights Act would involve balancing the demands of the Gay and SoCon communities. If Speechies got stiffed (and they did), that's because the Stelmach government realized there weren't enough of them to be worth the fuss.

(And of course the Aryan Guard marched this year with renewed strength. That helped change a few minds in caucus, I am sure.)

Alberta Human Rights Reform Spiked! I Was Right! I Was Gawddamn Fucking Right! And Ezra Got Stiffed In Alberta!!!

From the mouth Of The Ez Himself. Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach has pulled the plug on Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett's Human Rights reform:

Ed Stelmach, Alberta's weak premier, shows he's still strong when it comes to pushing his MLAs around. Today he put that uppity cabinet minister Lindsay Blackett...back in his place.

...specifically, the repeal of section 3 (the Alberta analogue of Section 13) is OFF THE TABLE!!!

I've been saying that these reforms were stalled for months now and, holy shit!, I didn't even believe it myself at times. But today I can Lord It Over the Alberta MSM and feel totally justified. I got the Alberta zeitgeist pegged better than the Calgary Herald. My glory approaches transfinite levels! Gay rights get added to the act explicitly, and Section 3 doesn't get touched!

And, yo Speechy's, you guys are a bunch of fucking total luzers! All you're doing now is paying Ezra's bills. He can't even advance his Speechy crusade in a conservative province with a conservative majority. Like he couldn't float a Conservative magazine in the same place! When you read his latest post you can taste the flop-sweat in his very choice of fonts. Gawd you Speechy people fucking fail, fail epically, fail utterly, fail fail fail fail!!!!!!

Booyah!! Booyah!!

PS. Thanks go out to the Aryan Guard. Couldn't have done it without you guys!

A Year Later, And Their Numbers Have Doubled

From March 2008:

Approximately 25 Aryan Guard members gathered at the Franklin LRT station, rode the C-Train to downtown and started making their way down to the Mewata Armoury...

This year the number is estimated at 60.

Meanwhile, the Alberta government's attempts to gut its own human rights code while allowing parents to pull their children from science class proceeds apace.

Update: Rick Bell, who has been cheerleading these "fixes" in the pages of the Calgary Herald, took a placard to the head at yesterday's demonstration.

Your Daily Nazi: Nazis For Mid-East Peace?

The folks at Anti-Racist Canada, who spend their days tracking the street-level activity of Canada's various Neo-Nazi groups, weigh in on the Aryan Guard's participation at last weekend's Gaza rally in Calgary:

Neo-conservative blogs that have posted commentaries on the rally have omitted Mr. Devine's comments and have some have claimed that the Aryan Guard's participation is proof that the march was instead anti-Semitic in nature. To be sure the Aryan Guard, and two extremist Muslim men we're aware of who were calling for the killing of Jews, found common cause, but most of the people who attended the rally were there to support the end of the fighting and calling for a long term cease fire, the opening of borders and the distribution of humanitarian aid. Unfortunately, the Aryan Guard took advantage of the good will of, and perhaps inexperience of, the organizers. However, that is absolutely no excuse and the organizers have to know that the participation of the Aryan Guard or any other hate group, be that group Christian, Muslim, atheistic, or other, is absolutely unacceptable.

We at Anti-Racist Canada have one request of organizers of this rally should they organize others.

Please get your shit together next time.

And as for the two men who were calling for the killing of Jews, we hold you and others like you with the same contempt that we have for members of the Aryan Guard and their affiliates. Just as we call out the likes of Ezra Levant and Edward Kennedy when it comes to anti-Muslim rhetoric, we will happily call you... Muslim extremists out on their anti-Semitism. Now, with that said, if you two or any other Muslim man or woman is so naive as to believe that you and the Aryan Guard have found a common cause, here is how the Aryan Guard views your religion and culture:

Since Kevin Libin's NP blog post has been quite heavily referenced in connection with this event, it is passing ironic that National Post staff photographer Brett Gundlock is even now composing a photo-essay on the very same Aryan Guard, and with their cooperation. Now, it is a private initiative and, given the difficulty of penetrating such groups, I'm kind of curious as to what might come out of it. But, given the enthusiasm of Guard members, and in light of the rather flattering picture he is showing on his blog, I have doubts.

One of them being: I doubt the Post is going to want to touch these pictures now. Wait until their writers goes back to referring to them as free-speech heroes, Brett.