From Mutual Aid Katarowki (Facebook)
This Sunday November 14th a convoy will drive from Peterborough through Trenton to Kingston to hold a rally outside city hall. Its organizers present themselves as “freedom fighters”. Some dismiss them as unintelligent or misinformed. Our take is that they are grifters trying to profit off of anti-vaccine/anti-government sentiments and in doing so, actively harboring and enabling far-right and fascist sentiments, which are sure to be on display Sunday.
Every one of the “special guest speakers” is sure to be pushing their wares on Sunday. Stand4thee has legal advice for small businesses fighting health regulations. The Line Canada has flags and swag with their logo. JAKK wants you to eat at their pub. Hold Fast will sell you hoodies. The “Church of Bubbles” will sell you new age spirituality. Game On wants you to donate to their totally-legit umbrella group Take Action Canada.
Who buys this stuff? Well, these grifters advertise their wares and promote their rallies in social media groups alongside posts from well-known far-right and fascist content creators like Ed Jamisek. In another group, if you want to buy your hoodie, you need to scroll past the pinned announcement from the People’s Party of Canada. The Line Canada’s founder took time off from running all their businesses to post an essay full of antiseminitic dog whistles. Do we have to go on?
Just like capitalism has historically, these “entrepreneurs” are happy to push fascism when it suits their financial interests. And just like always, fascism profits off of this relationship according to its own goals – it further penetrates digital and real-life social networks and thus can better recruit, radicalize, and grow.
This is why we’re worried when some dismiss the rally as “some people being dumb.” While some talking-points and the people spouting them might seem dumb, fascism is not dumb – it’s dangerous.
If you find yourself downtown by city hall Sunday, you’ll see what we mean. While trying hard to present themselves as moderate, these rallies always attract and welcome far-right and fascist groups and individuals.
While these grifters are hawking their wares and helping fascism, antifascists have been growing vegetables and giving them away for free. We continue to oppose the city’s criminalization of not being able to afford rent. We continue to support movements for indigenous sovereignty against 500 years of oppression by the settler-capitalist state. Notice the difference? Two kinds of resistance.