On The Prowl - News Bulletin Of Anti-Racist Action (Toronto)



Number Two - January/February/March 1994



Index:



1) Zundel's Gotta Go!

2) Zundel's Pissed

3) Open Letter To Local Anti-Fascist And Anti-Racist Activists

4) ARA Dozen In The Courts

5) What's Going On In The City...

6) Rock The Fascists!

7) Anti-Fascist Video Night

8) Treason To Whiteness Is Loyalty To Humanity

9) Blubbering Bonehead Gets Four Years

10) Blue By Day, White By Night

11) Wolves In Sheep's Clothing

12) Dudley Laws, Criminalized But Still Fighting...

13) Jewish Feminist Anti-Fascist League

14) The Heritage Of The Front

15) ANTI-FASCIST iNFO

16) Liberty Net Gets Snagged Again!

17) Great White North? Take Off!!

18) International News

19) Repression Against Anti-Fascists

20) On The Prowl Subscription Information

21) Some Stuff We Distribute

22) Get Involved!

23) Call ARA



1) Zundel's Gotta Go!!



The Trials



     On November 24, 1993, four prominent organizers for the

Heritage Front appeared in court on two separate hate crime

charges; Elisse Hategan stood trial on hate-literature charges

while Gary Schipper, Ken Barker, and Wolfgang Droege were tried on

contempt charges for their refusal to cease broadcasting hate on

the Heritage Front "Anti-Immigration Hotline". These trials marked

the first hate-crimes cases in Toronto since those of neo-

Nazi/holocaust denier, Ernst Zundel; court cases which failed to

make any inroads against his propaganda machine and instead

provided him with a platform of debate. While the courts made it

look as if they were making efforts against neo-Nazi propagandists

with these four 'minor' examples, the biggest hatemonger of all,

Zundel, was still operating with impunity only a few blocks away.



ARA's Response



     ARA was not about to allow these trials to proceed without a

'watchful anti-racist presence', but the importance of defining

Ernst Zundel as a necessary target was well understood. Keeping

these variables in mind, ARA called for a rally at city hall to

prevent any possible show of fascist support for the Heritage Front

members in court. From there, the demonstration would march to

Zundel's production and distribution hatequarters at 206 Carlton

Street. On the day, as anticipated there were no sign of the nazis

at the courthouse so about 150 anti-racists proceeded to the

targeted location.



The Police Counter-Response



     Upon reaching Zundel's plastic-wrapped hatequarters, it was

evident that the police sought to criminalize ARA demonstrators.

Over 300 officers on foot including the Public Order Unit,

Emergency Task Force, and upwards of twenty undercover cops were

on the scene, surrounding the entire crowd of anti-racists.

Following a few speeches and several paint and egg assaults on

Zundel's house, the police moved in, brutalizing protestors and

breaking up the crowd. Several ARA activists and supporters were

arrested, including a reporter from a community radio station.

Clearly, such an unprovoked assault was a display of 'revenge

tactics' on behalf of the cops who were pathetically outnumbered

and outwitted at the June 11 ARA demo at Gary Schipper's house.

Another point of interest was that Zundel's own security was

absent, in contrast to June 11 when fifty-odd boneheads were on the

scene brandishing baseball bats. This time around, Zundel somehow

got rewarded with a massive show of police protection for which

Metro spent an estimated $200,000!! This gives some idea as to how

far the Canadian state will go to defend and harbour this nazi

propagandist. 



Shutting Zundel Down Once and For All!



     Zundel is a key spider in the web of international fascism,

his role being that of supplying a massive amount of nazi-

propaganda to the neo-nazi movement at home and abroad,

particularly to Germany where it is illegal to print and produce

such material. ARA has set the groundwork for a renewed campaign

against Zundel. This campaign will require the support and

involvement of the entire community, as well as international anti-

fascists, in a broad and diverse movement encompassing a variety

of tactics, and clearly not based solely on decisions by the

state's courts. For those who are concerned about the rise of

fascism in Europe and its implications in Canada, the best kind of

solidarity we can offer at the present time is working to shut

Zundel down. No platform and zero tolerance! 



To find out more about the campaign against Ernst Zundel, write to

ARA for an info-package (see back cover) and further information

on how to get involved!



2) Zundel's Pissed



     Ernst Zundel, long-time fan of being in the media spotlight,

seems to be getting bitter over a rash of anti-Zundel propaganda

posters in his neighbourhood. Judging from some of the hate-mail

we've recieved from Z's pals in the States, he's been mailing

copies of the posters around and whining about the unwanted

exposure. To whoever puts this stuff up: keep doing it!



3) Open Letter To Local Anti-Fascist And Anti-Racist Activists



     Anti-Racist Action is ready to step up its activities to get

at the deeper forces within the fascist camp. This new phase will

include a campaign against Ernst Zundel, an international figure

in fascist circles. His primary role in today's fascist movement

is as a financier and publisher. Here in our city, Zundel has been

virtually unhindered in his production and distribution of neo-nazi

propaganda and materials to the fascist movement at home and

abroad.



     Our logic for waging a specific campaign against him is as

follows:

- He is a source of funds for the nazis;

- He is a fixed target, with a known address in downtown Toronto:

a well-fortified bunker which was recently protected by upwards of

300 police during a demonstration, exposing the complicity and

deal-making between police and nazis. In recent years this location

has been the site of open gatherings such as Hitler's birthday

celebration;

- He has won numerous court cases, up to the Supreme Court of

Canada level; the liberal state solution to the problem of nazis

has clearly failed;

- Targeting the individual well-known fascists can involve a broad

base of activists with different strategies and connections without

requiring absolute political agreement on the tactics used or the

strategies required to defeat racism and fascism in the longer

term.



     All these factors make a multi-level campaign possible and

desirable. We in Toronto feel we have a responsibility to our

comrades around the world as well as in our own community to see

the end of Zundel's international status. The bulk of the work

against him so far has been done by the Jewish community, as

Zundel's primary notoriety has been gained by holocaust denial. We

seek to act against him in solidarity and on our own behalf as

people of colour, Jews, queers, and all others targeted by the far-

right. We need your help in mounting this campaign and at this time

issue a call to action.



Towards victory,

Anti-Racist Action



4) What's Going On In The City...



Ready for Round Two?



     Locally, things have been quiet....like the calm before the

storm. As an anti-racist force in Toronto, ARA is faced with new

terrain. Our campaign against the Heritage Front has succeeded in

ridding our streets and schools of nazis, but for the time being

only. With prominent HF members locked up in jail or tied up in

court, many anti-racists would believe that the fight is over. No

way. The HF goes underground, builds up its reserves, and comes

back like the plague. A look at the history of the far-right in

Canada lays out a consistent pattern of this effect. The terrain

the anti-racist movement faces relates specifically to this

situation in that we are dealing with an enemy that learns from its

losses and continues accordingly. The fact that they have been

maintaining a lower profile has, in part, resulted in anti-racist

demonstrations that begin to show signs of lower numbers. The

urgency just isn't there for many people who would like to sit back

and think that just because the fascists are a no-show, ARA has

everything taken care of. Although ARA has dealt the HF a fair

share of beatings and set-backs, they are still active on various

levels.

     While the "Heritage Hotline" has been wrapped up in the court

system facing the Human Rights Commission, the HF have been

determined to continue 'business as usual'. The "Equal Rights for

Whites" hateline (initiated by Ken Barker) has merged with the

"Euro-Canadian Action League" line (set up by Les Jasinski and Marc

LeMire). The HF also recently activated a "Euro-Canadian Freedom

Front" hateline (featuring the voice of Gary Schipper), alongside

a "Racialist Rock" line which provides boneheads with info on

upcoming nazi-shows and events in Toronto and Southern Ontario.

This most recent hateline is a prime example of their concentrated

strategy for cultivating and expanding their street scene. The

"Racialist Rockline" features the voice of Front member George

Harbottle and serves as a link that holds together a loosely

affiliated collection of white power bands here and in the U.S.

     On February 26, a secret white power concert hosted by the

'Northern Hammerskins' took place in the East end of Toronto. A

similar "Rock Against Communism" show is planned for the end of

April, set to coincide with Adolph Hitler's birthday....and they

are already hinting at an "Aryan-Fest 94" to be held this summer,

complete with at least ten 'racist rock' bands.

     The Heritage Front are well into the beginning stages of a

comeback. More than ever, it is important to keep up the fight

against the fascists. Attack them wherever they fester!



5) ARA Dozen In The Courts



     Last June 11, after a series of neo-Nazi terrorist attacks in

the city, ARA struck a blow against the Heritage Front. A

demonstration at the nerve centre of the Front's telephone hate-

line, the home of Gary Schipper, resulted in smashed windows and

lots of cleanup for Front lackeys. Gary moved out and the Front was

messed up for months after. But part of the price for this victory

were the arrests of five ARA supporters - seemingly at random -

over the following six(!) months at various anti-racist events. The

case of the five is still following its twisted path through the

court system and it looks like they'll be facing a judge on

mischief charges in May.

     ARA withstood another cop attack on November 24 outside the

headquarters of Ernst Zundel, internationally-known Holocaust-

denier, hate-propagandist and creep. Cops surrounded the crowd of

anti-racists, waiting for any excuse to take revenge for the

embarrassment of June 11. A few eggs hitting the plastic sheet

covering Zundel's bunker provided the opportunity for them, and

seven ARA supporters were busted, again at random. Support the ARA

dozen! The cops are trying to scare people away from ARA demos, and

anti-racist work in general. Fighting racism is not a crime!



6) Rock The Fascists!



     "Rock Against Racism" is a small collective of promoters that

sets up benefit concerts for various local anti-racist, multi-

cultural groups and projects. In its current form, the R.A.R.

collective has been active for over a year now, with over a dozen

concerts having taken place in Toronto. We have been able to hold

regular benefits for Anti-Racist Action as well as raise legal fees

for a protestor charged at an anti-fascist demo and help to cover

the medical expenses of a Tamil man who was beaten into a coma by

a neo-Nazi skinhead.

     Rock Against Racism concerts are meant to be open to all

communities and people. This means that our shows are always all-

ages and attempts are made to provide wheelchair-accessible venues

whenever possible. Also, as we are committed to supporting

independent music and culture, we do not accept any corporate

sponsorship of our events.

     We want our shows to be as musically and politically diverse

as possible. So if you're a promoter, musician, DJ or just someone

who wants to help out, we want to hear from you! You can reach

R.A.R. through the ARA address or leave a message at (416) 631-

8835.



7) Anti-Fascist Video Night: "Nazis, Lies And Videotape and The

Zundel Connection"



CINECYCLE

317 Spadina Ave. (rear entrance, S. of Baldwin, east of Spadina)



April 13, 1994 @ 7:00 p.m. - Admission: $3



8) Treason To Whiteness Is Loyalty To Humanity



The HF Gets Played...



     In an unexpected turn of events, former Heritage Front member,

Elisse Hategan has broken her allegiance with the white supremacist

group to testify against other HF members and divulge information

on the group's activities to the police. This came to light

following a trial in which Hategan pleaded guilty to charges of

inflammatory libel for producing and distributing hate literature.

In a CTV interview, she revealed that the group was responsible for

a series of firebombings including two such attacks on the home of

an anti-racist activist in Kitchener. Hategan also stated that the

Heritage Front encouraged its members to join the Reform Party and

to make use of welfare to finance the group's activities, and that

almost all of the 100 members she knew possessed a firearm.



Wolfie's Famous Last Words: "They'll Never Shut Us Down"



     On March 15/94, Hategan testified in court against Wolfgang

Droege, Gary Schipper, and Ken Barker - HF organizers charged with

setting up and running a racist telephone hateline in an effort to

evade an Oct.8/93 court order preventing the Front's placement of

pre-recorded racist messages. Testimony revealed that Ken Barker

was given a forged, predated, written resignation from the HF in

order for him to operate the "Equal Rights for Whites" hateline

under 'non-member' status in the face of last year's court order.

Barker's line was set up on July 28/92, six days after the first

trial began. During a March 23/94 hearing, Droege denied the

allegations made and testified he "seriously doubts" he told

Hategan of his plans. 

     Disavowing her involvement with the HF, Hategan offered

further information on the group's activities and even admitted to

spying on them for four months prior to her official defection.

She also stated that most of her racist views had been obtained

after she had joined the manipulative ranks of the Heritage Front.



9) Blubbering Bonehead Gets Four Years



     Following a Nazi-gig last summer, featuring the bands Aryan

and RaHoWa (Racial Holy War), Jason (Little Jay) Hoolans and his

racist skinhead mates went on a rampage. On that night of June 6th,

Hoolans 20, kicked a Sri Lankan immigrant into a coma, resulting

in a state of permanent paralysis. In a videotaped interview with

police, Hoolans stated that while he doesn't think all non-whites

should be killed, the world would be better off without them and

that he doesn't "like to see all the immigrants coming in, taking

our jobs..."

     On March 8, Hoolans pleaded guilty to the aggravated assault

charge, and begged for the court's forgiveness. Pulling the old

"reformed-racist" routine, a teary-eyed Little Jay did his best to

convince the judge that the 9 months already spent in prison had

given him the opportunity to see the error of his ways. They saw

through his act and slapped him with a four-year jail sentence.



10) Blue By Day, White By Night



     One of Metro's 'swinest', Const. Brad Coulbeck, 24, faces

charges over his links with the Heritage Front, stemming from a

condemning statement given by ex-Front member, Elisse Hategan.

Coulbeck is not only on the HF's mailing list, but he has

distributed HF material and had even attended a Ku Klux Klan rally

in the U.S. His connections to the Heritage Front raise many

questions about the relationship between Metro Police and white

supremacist groups in this city. What was the extent of Coulbeck's

role within the HF? How many other officers are involved? What

police information has been shared with the Heritage Front as a

result? Have HF/police links comprised cases against anti-racists

while at the same time protecting neo-Nazis from further criminal

charges or investigation? The recent Metro Police collusion and

cooperation with neo-nazi, Ernst Zundel on November 24, 1993 and

the wearing of white supremacist regalia by an undercover officer

on that date illuminate the broader implications.

     An investigation into the torture-death of a Somali man at the

hands of the Canadian military led to the revelation that there was

not just one white supremacist in the forces, but an entire

regiment infested with them. It is equally critical that the police

force be brought under scrutiny following the revelation of the

existence of one neo-Nazi scumbag within its ranks.



11) Wolves In Sheep's Clothing



Euro-Canadians...The Silent Majority?



     The "Voice of Canadians Committee" held their founding meeting

in Toronto on December 15/93 at the Swansea Town Hall. Self-

acclaimed as the "Unhyphenated Canadians", these reactionaries are

located between the Reform Party and the Heritage Front on the far-

right scale. Believing that the source of their economic and social

woes stem from "taxpayer-funded special interest groups", their

material drivels on about how their "free society" and upper class

stature has been violated by immigration, employment equity, etc.

Suggested name changes: Short-Sighted-Canadians, Got-It-All-And-

Still-Want-More-Canadians, Euro-Ignoramus-Canadians, Whining-

Windbag-Canadians, Ku-Klux-Kanadians.



Finding The Antidote For CURE



     An attack on anti-homophobia education is the first step in

a transparent attempt by the religious right to take control of

Metro school boards. Using front group tactics imported from south

of the border, well-known homophobia bigots have joined forced

under the banner of CURE - "Citizens United for Responsible

Education" - and taken aim at a package of mild educational reforms

introduced in the Toronto Board of Education. With school board

elections coming up in the fall, their sights are now set on

overturning the current board and replacing them with a crop of

homophobic, conservative trustees who will roll back any small

gains made in anti-racist, anti-sexist and anti-homophobic

education over the past 20 years.

     CURE presents itself as a group of concerned parents who worry

that the Board's recent steps toward countering homophobia in the

school system means young people will be (gasp!) converted by pro-

queer education. In fact CURE is led by a notorious collection

right-wingers with shaky histories whose agenda includes the

supposed "curing" of queers, questionable psychiatric ideologies

and religious fundamentalism. Watch out for CURE members, Dian

Malott and Sue Careless. Furthermore, the reforms they're attacking

were only a small step towards real (and long overdue) anti-

homophobic education. However, if we want to see large steps taken,

we'll have to wipe CURE off the map and push the Board to go the

extra mile ahead rather than letting the bunch of them drag us back

to the stone age. Students are already meeting to make sure that

these kinds of decisions - about what kind of school environment

we'll be working in - aren't made by the religious right, and more

to the point, aren't made without us! If you want to get involved,

contact us through ARA at 631-8835.



12) Dudley Laws, Criminalized But Still Fighting...



     The Black community is outraged that Dudley Laws, organizer

for the Black Action Defense Committee, has been convicted of

smuggling people across the U.S.-Canadian border. In a hearing

which followed his conviction, his lawyers brought out the evidence

that at the time he was charged, Metro cops were collecting

information on Black community activists and building files on

people; some of them government employees who had never been

convicted of a crime. Laws in particular was singled out as a

target because of his leading role in demanding justice for Black

people who have suffered at the hands of Metro's finest. His phone

was tapped for a year and undercovers were sent to him, begging for

help in leaving the country and offering money for the service.

     Despite all evidence that Laws was entrapped by police because

they didn't like his politics, the judge upheld his conviction. Not

too surprising, considering this is the same judge who had ordered

the wiretap in the first place! At his most recent hearing, Laws

was sentenced to nine months in prison.

      Call BADC at 416-656-2232 for an update on the case and on

efforts to further expose the malicious police campaign against the

Black community in general. BADC also needs money to cover legal

costs, so send some to their office at 386 Vaughan Road, Toronto

M6C 2N8.



13) Jewish Feminist Anti-Fascist League



     "The Jewish Feminist Anti-Fascist League (JFAFL) came together

in November 1992, to join the fight against fascism at a time when

fascist and racist organizing was escalating in Toronto and

globally. Fascism is manifested in many ways. We feel that as

Jewish feminist activists our experiences of anti-Semitism, and

also sexism, homophobia, classism, ableism, and so on, help provide

us with a complex analysis of the structure and operations of

oppression. The far right has made many gains; consider the number

of recently established white-supremacist groups and the increase

of "above ground" anti-semitic race-hate literature, as well as

fascist violence. The extreme right has also gained legitimacy in

mainstream electoral politics across North America, as well as

internationally. Symptomatic of the rise of the neo-right are the

renewed and vicious campaigns against immigrants, refugees, gays,

lesbians, people of colour, women and people with disabilities."

(exerpt from JFAFL pamphlet, March 8/1994-International Women's

Day) JFAFL, P.O. Box 291, Stn. B, Toronto, M5T 2W2.



Commemorate the 51st Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising! An

evening of readings and presentations by the Jewish Feminist Anti-

Fascist League April 19th @ the Jewish Community Centre, Bloor &

Spadina, 7pm.



14) The Heritage Of The Front



     A February 22, 1994 article in the Toronto Sun reported that

Armand Siksna, a member of the Toronto-based neo-Nazi Nationalist

Party (NP), and the first person ever charged under Canada's hate-

crime laws (back in 1973), had recently joined the right-wing

Reform Party. This revelation, coupled with, for example, the

November 1992 awarding of the 'Heritage Front Merit Award' to

former Western Guard Party (WPG) leaders John Ross Taylor and Jacob

Prins, for years of service, serves as a timely reminder that

today's neo-Nazi organizations such as the HF didn't just suddenly

appear out of thin air, but rather have grown out of the remmnants

of previous hate groups. A brief look back at the workings of

racist groups of the 60s and 70s like the Nationalist Party and the

Western Guard can make clear the heritage of the Front.

     Many prominent members of the HF were members in good standing

of either the Nationalist Party or its earlier incarnation, the

Western Guard Party. Wolfgang Droege joined the WGP around 1974,

and was arrested in 1975 for writing neo-nazi slogans around town,

and for assaulting a Toronto Sun photographer. (He's also done time

for possession of cocaine, and for his part in the attempted

invasion and takeover of the island of Dominica.) As well, in the

late 70s, he organized in Toronto for David Duke's Knights of the

Ku Klux Klan. Front members Peter Mistrevski, Max French and Nicola

Polinuk (ex-wife of Nationalist Party founder Don Andrews) were all

active members of the NP.

     The neo-Nazi Western Guard Party was born in 1972 out of the

ashes of the Edmund Burke Society, an anti-communist "conservative

organization" formed in 1967 by none other than Don Andrews and

Paul Fromm. Led by Andrews, and later, John Ross Taylor, the WG's

Manifesto declared the Party to be "dedicated to preserve and

promote the basic social and spiritual values of the White People",

and further stated that "we fight for our Christian moral values,

our European Racial heritage and the spiritual and cultural rebirth

of our people".

     The WGP had several fronts; it published a magazine entitled

Straight Talk, and established a white-power telephone hotline.

Its members maced a meeting of African students at the University

of Toronto in 1974, attacked a Black band taping a show at CITY-TV

in the same year, and vandalized numerous synagogues. As well,

Taylor, Andrews and Siksna, among others, ran for political office

- Andrews ran for Mayor of Toronto several times, and the others

generally ran for the position of alderman - generally coming in

dead last.

     In 1976, Andrews and another WGP members were arrested for

plotting to launch a bomb attack on a visiting Israeli soccer Team

at Varsity Stadium. With Andrews in prison, John Ross Taylor, a

confirmed fascist since the 1930s, took control of the WGP. Taylor

renamed the organization the Western Guard Universal, and stated

that its aim was to fight "Jewish-Freemasonic-Communist world-

destroyers everywhere." 

     In June of 1979, Taylor was ordered by a Canadian Human Rights

Commission Tribunal to stop broadcasting white-power telephone

messages. A perusal of type-written copies of some of these

messages reveals them to have been along the lines of today's HF

hateline drivel - attacking "commies and race-traitors" and blaming

multi-culturalism and Jews for the bulk of the world's problems.

The messages didn't stop and Taylor spent 243 days in jail. At this

point the WGP basically fell apart, as many of its members left to

join Droege's Canadian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which he had

begun to organize in 1976, or Don Andrew's newly formed

organization - the Nationalist Party - which he had formed upon his

release from prison in 1977. The fact that Taylor is a nutcase

probably contributed to the demise of the WGU - among other things,

Taylor is convinced that white sugar is the cause of homosexuality,

and anybody who has seen the documentary Blood in the Face might

remember seeing Taylor rambling on about the importance of certain

numbers in the bible. Taylor made the news again recently when it

was discovered that he had contributed to an anti-semitic loony-

tune conspiracy-theory type book entitled The New World Order in

North America: A Secret American Military Counter Intelligence

Report by University of Toronto professor Robert O'Driscoll. Taylor

wrote under the pseudonym "His Excellency J.J. Wills". 

     The NP didn't really differ all that much from the WGP, in

ideology or action. A newsletter, The Nationalist Report, was

published, and NP members including Max French and Robert Ruminski

ran for Mayor in Toronto municipal elections, as recently as 1988.

In 1990 Nicola Polinuk ran for a school trustee byelection as a

member of the National Party. Andrews made a real effort to attract

skinheads to the NP - a 1988 Toronto Sun article entitled "Young

Face of Racism" reported that NP members were regularly holding

'teach-ins' with up to 70 skinheads, but Stanley Barret, in Is God

a Racist, aptly describes the bulk of NP members as being misfits,

losers, or alcoholics. The NP's presence in Toronto has been all

but non-existent as of late.

     In 1989 several NP members travelled to Libya in order to

celebrate the 20th anniversary of Khadafy's revolution - including

Droege, French and Mitrevski - and it was at this time that the

idea for the HF came up. Apparently, some NPers had grown tired of

Don Andrew's "fuhrer-like leadership" and the NP's inability to do

anything except contest local elections. The HF was born a few

months later in Toronto.

     There is an overall continuity throughout white supremacist

organizing in the on-going development of strategies throughout

its history. Fascist organizations in Canada such as the Heritage

Front are held together by the experience and leadership carried

over from pre-existing fascist structures, complete with well-

established ties to other existing groups worldwide. Street-level

recruitment of skinheads is of on-going importance to them, not

only to swell their ranks, but to cultivate and nurture the next

generation of organizers who, like their experienced leaders, will

continue down the same path. For anti-racists and anti-fascists it

is of utmost importance to become aware of this historical pattern

to establish how far they have come, where they intend to go, and

to ultimately stop them dead in their tracks.



For Further Reading On The Far-Right In Canada:



"Antisemitism in Canada: History and Interpretation", by Alan

Davies, editor (Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University

Press, 1992).



"Hate on Trial: The Zundel Affair, the Media and Public Opinion in

Canada", by Gabriel Weimann and Conrad Winn (Oakville, Ontario:

Mosaic Press, 1986).



"Is God a Racist?: The Right Wing in Canada," by Stanley R. Barrett

(Toronto, Ont.: University of Toronto Press, 1987).



"Les skinheads et l'extreme droite", by Daniel Hubert and Yves

Claude de la Ligue des droits et libertes (Montreal, Quebec: VLB

Editeur, 1991).



"Shades of Right: Nativist and Fascist Politics in Canada, 1920-

1940", by Martin Robin (Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto

Press, 1992).



"The Swastika And The Maple Leaf: Fascist Movements in Canada in

the Thirties" by Lita-Rose Betcherman (Toronto, Ontario: Fitzhenry

& Whiteside, 1975).



"White Hoods: Canada's Ku Klux Klan", by Julian Sher (Vancouver,

BC: New Star, 1983).



15) ANTI-FASCIST iNFO



     ANTI-FASCIST iNFO (AFi) is a collective of predominantly

people of colour in Vancouver, some currently defendants on charges

arising from anti-fascist demonstrations, with the aim of gathering

and distributing information on the extreme right in Canada. They

are producing and distributing a range of material including

pamphlets and posters.

     "We see anti-fascism as a protracted struggle with no clear

victory or conclusion, until there are fundamental changes in the

white supremacist world order. Institutionalized racism and the

oppression of Third World peoples globally, creates a climate that

inherently breeds racists. At the same time, we have witnessed the

explosive rise of fascism in Europe, and are determined to prevent

it from developing into a mass movement here."

     Contributions and support can be sent to...ANTI-FASCIST iNFO,

Box 35, 1744 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC, V5N 2S3



16) Liberty Net Gets Snagged Again!



     Vancouver's high-profile fascist Tony McAleer, connected to

the Aryan Resistance Movement (ARM), Aryan Nations, and White Aryan

Resistance (WAR), last year sponsored an attempt to bring WAR's Tom

Metzger from the US on a Canadian speaking tour. Vancouver anti-

racists succeeded in shutting this venture down on the evening of

January 22/93. Now, exactly a year later, McAleer is under fire

for his activities which focus around the "Canadian Liberty Net",

a telephone hateline which is the central propaganda and recruiting

tool of Vancouver-area fascists. A federal human rights tribunal

has ordered McAleer and his associates "anywhere in Canada" to

cease distributing hatred and contempt telephonically, following

a message which said the ancient Celts had "not such a bad idea"

when they used to "take queers and trample them into peat bogs."

McAleer is being represented by Doug Cristie, a fascist lawyer who

has represented the likes of Ernst Zundel, in this, the second run-

in with the courts "Liberty-Net" has faced. Remember...three

strikes and you're out, racist scum!



17) Great White North? Take Off!!



     ON THE PROWL would like to make this section of the bulletin

a regular feature in documenting the current struggles against

racism and fascism in Canada. If you are active in anti-fascist

organizing outside of Toronto, drop us a line and let us know

what's up. Also, we are always in need of a steady flow of

newspaper clippings on far-right activity in other cities. If you

aren't necessarily a member of any group, but have information on

fascist activity in your neck of the woods, drop us a line at: ON

THE PROWL, PO Box 664, Stn C, Toronto, Ontario M6J 3S1 (All

information treated in strictest confidence.)



* Setting A Precedent In Kitchener-Waterloo



     On Saturday February 12, anti-fascist youth in Kitchener-

Waterloo (K-W) marched through the streets to demonstrate at city

hall against racism and fascism. En route the demonstration

targeted the European Sound Import store on King St., nazi-owned

property used as meeting space for the Heritage Front and location

where holocaust-denier David Irving attempted to speak last fall.

Eggs were thrown at the shopfront and the windows were plastered

with anti-racist stickers.

     The demo was called by K-W's Anti-Racist Group (ARG) to bring

attention to the rise in racist and fascist attacks in the city.

An anti-racist activist's home had been fire-bombed by fascists

twice, a Jewish shopowner was assaulted by nazis, and attacks on

people of colour by the police. Incidents such as these have fallen

on the deaf ears of a community which has chosen to sweep them

under the carpet. So once again, the impetus has come from the

youth to fight alongside those who are resisting the attacks.

Toronto anti-fascists extend full support to the actions of groups

like ARG.

     In Toronto, ARA has made life very difficult for fascists, so

scumbags like the Heritage Front retreat to smaller towns like K-

W to recruit in the high schools. This is countered by the efforts

of grassroots anti-racist organizing that sets a precedent on the

streets and in the highschools. Fascists will not be tolerated in

the community! To contact ARG, write: 170 University Ave West,

Suite 12 Box 133, Waterloo, Ont. N2L 3E9

 

* Racist Graffiti



     In Oakville, spray-painted swastikas and neo-nazi slogans

appeared on the outer walls and three portable classrooms at White

Oaks Secondary School. Nazi graffiti was also found in an elevator

at the Medical Sciences Building of the University of Toronto.

Anti-racist students everywhere can combat the spread of neo-nazi

spray-painting and propaganda in their own schools by tearing down

nazi-posters and replacing their racist, sexist and homophobic

filth with anti-racist posters, etc. Be creative!

     Write to ON THE PROWL with any information about neo-nazi

activity in YOUR school (All information treated in strictest

confidence) and ask for a package of anti-racist posters and

stickers to get you started. We would also like to print statements

and reports from local highschool groups who are active against

racism and fascism within their schools and neighborhoods.



* Fighting Fascism In The Capital!



     Ottawa Anti-Racist Action seems to be off to a good start on

its monumental task of squashing the fascists in the nation's

capital. They have just released the first issue of an anti-racist

newsletter, and they can be reached for general information at P.O.

Box 4721, Station E, Ottawa, K1S 5H9.



* Nazis Off Campus



     On March 30/94, three-hundred students and anti-racists

demonstrated at Queens University in Kingston against a neo-Nazi

presence on campus. One particular fascist has been responsible for

a rash of neo-Nazi posters and an attempt to sue an anti-

sexist/racist student newspaper.



* Fascist Sues B.C. Anti-Racist Organizer



     David Lethbridge, director of B.C's Salmon Arm Coalition

Against Racism (SACAR), has become the target of a lawsuit for

"defamation of character," launched by Eileen Pressler. Pressler

is the head of Salmon Arm's Council on Public Affairs, a right-wing

organization which reproduces pro-fascist, holocaust denial, anti-

Semitic and racist materials in its monthly Council on Public

Affairs Digest which claims to have a circulation of 12,000.

     SACAR has been committed to exposing key links in the

international far-right movements existing in the Okanagan region,

organizing demos and conferences, disseminating information and

bringing attention to fascist activity that has been largely

downplayed by the mass media. It seems they have been successful

to some degree in light of a lawsuit which seems to be aimed at

shutting down SACAR's public campaigning.

     Pressler's lawyer, Doug Christie, is well-known for

representing the KKK in Manitoba, the Canadian Liberty Net for its

racist hateline, Rudy Stanko of the paramilitary fascist Church of

the Creator, nazi propagandist Ernst Zundel, anti-Semitic teachers

Jim Keegstra and Malcolm Ross, and others.

     If this lawsuit is successful, it could mark the beginning of

a series of similar moves against the anti-racist movement, aimed

at discrediting and hindering anti-racist work on the whole. SACAR

is appealing for support, especially for contributions to its legal

defence fund. Donations can be sent to: SACAR DEFENCE, 3521 20 Ave.

NE, Salmon Arm, B.C., V1E 4M4



(condensed from People's Voice, Feb.94)



18) International News



Bloodied And Humiliated



     On January 15, 1994, Blood and Honour, a neo-nazi skinhead

group, attempted to hold a memorial concert for Ian Stuart in

London. Stuart, who died in car accident last year, was the singer

for Skrewdriver, a fascist skinhead band that also operated Blood

and Honour. Because of previous successes by anti-fascists in

shutting down fascist gigs this one was organized strictly by a

word of mouth basis. As well, Combat 18 (C18) thugs (a paramilitary

fascist organization), provided security in an attempt to foil

anti-fascist efforts to smash the gig. All of which proved useless

when militants from Anti-Fascist Action (AFA) thwarted their every

manoeuvre. AFA is national anti-fascist organization in Britain

that was formed in 1985 to, in their own words, "cause maximum

disruption to fascist activities". Unlike groups such the Anti-Nazi

League (a Socialist Workers Party front group), AFA attempts to

smash the fascists whenever they rear their ugly heads. January

15th was no exception. Despite C18 attempts to redirect nazi scum

to a series of assembly points, AFA militants always managed to

find them. Even the cops called the AFA ability to locate the

fascists as "uncanny". The day ended with nazi skinheads and C18

stewards holed up in a pub surrounded by riot police. When AFA once

again arrived on the scene, the fascists panicked and tried to

flee. The riot police smashed their way into the pub and badly

beaten and bloodied fascists were dragged out and arrested. Other

fascists attempting to flee the vicinity received a beating from

AFA militants in the area. The key to AFA's success was their

intelligence gathering capacity and on that day they "controlled

the play, were ahead of the game and made all the decisive moves".

Write: AFA, BM 1734, London, WC1N 3XX.

Cyber-Nazis?



     The recent media hype about an "information superhighway" and

the explosive growth of computer-based telecommunications hasn't

been ignored by fascists seeking new ways to spread their

propaganda and unify their movement.

     The Thule Network is a computer network linking together over

a dozen computer bulletin boards in Germany. This network, based

in 3 western states, allows neo-nazis to communicate with one

another, pass along news and propaganda and even provides

"services" for the movement. For instance, if a small group of

fascists with few resources wanted to put out a publication they

can log onto a bulletin board and be provided with graphics. A

movement lawyer can look over the text for any legal problems.

Other information on the network can range from intelligence on

anti-fascists to bomb-making directions. Access to the various

bulletin boards is guarded by a series of passwords and loyalty

tests which allows neo-Nazis a secure means of communication.

     This network, which has been operating for over a year now,

not only provides a link between various fascist organizations and

individuals and allows them to exchange information but to be able

to co-ordinate rallies, gigs and actions

     The Thule Network along with cellular phones, fax machines

and telephone hotlines is helping bring together a diverse and

often fractious neo-Nazi scene into a united movement.

     Any anti-fascist hackers out there?

 



19) Repression Against Anti-Fascists



Freedom For Kurdish And Turkish Anti-Fascists In Germany



     On April 4, 1992, a group of masked people burst into a

restaurant in Berlin where members of the neo-nazi Deutsche Liga

(German League) were having a meeting. The attack resulted in a

leading member of the Deutsche Liga, Gerhard Kaindl, being stabbed

to death. A year and a half later, on November 15, police raided

the apartments of 4 anti-fascists and arrested them in connection

with Kaindl's murder. The four, Erkan, Fatma, Abidin and Mehmet are

facing charges of murder, attempted murder, abetting a murder and

assault. The basis for the charges against the four is the result

of a confession extracted from Erkan who was beaten and tortured

by police. Since then, a fifth person, Bahretin, has been arrested.

All five anti-fascists are being held in prison - some in solitary

confinement - until their trial.

     In stark contrast to their unwillingness to investigate

numerous racist attacks and murders, Berlin police immediately

launched an intensive investigation into Kaindl's death. This

investigation consisted of massive surveillance of the militant

anti-fascist scene and a reward of 100,000 DM was offered. Police

paid particular attention to the Turkish and Kurdish group Antifa

Genclik (Anti-fascist Youth). The five comrades are all members of

this group which has been at the forefront of militant anti-fascist

resistance in Germany.

     Despite the fact that dozens of people have been murdered by

German neo-nazis over the last few years, many fascists receive

minimal prison sentences. A double standard applies to anti-

fascists who generally receive much harsher treatment at the hands

of the German judicial system. The legal proceedings for the five

anti-fascists will held in a "show-trial" atmosphere with the state

attempting to make an example of those who fight back against the

fascists. All of this is part of a well-organized campaign to

criminalize and isolate the militant anti-fascist scene in Berlin.

To resist this it is important that anti-fascists everywhere show

their solidarity with these comrades.



For more info: FreundInnen und UnterstuetzerInnen c/o Kreuzbuero,

Grossbeerenstr. 89, 10963 Berlin, Germany



The State Of Minnesota Vs. The Anti-Racist Movement



     On October 22/93, the Progressive Student Organization held

an anti-racist rally to counter an announced demonstration by neo-

nazis at the University of Minnesota campus. Daniel Simmer, one of

two neo-Nazi skinheads who showed up sporting brass knuckles,

charged the demo injuring several people. In response, Kieran

Frazier, long-time anti-racist activist, defended himself by

clocking the bonehead with a flashlight. Kieran now faces up to ten

years in prison and a $20,000 fine, while the nazi remains at

large. Several organizations like the Ku Klux Klan and the Northern

Hammerskins, which Daniel Simmer belongs to, are active in the Twin

Cities where they've organized, vandalized, and carried out violent

attacks. In fact, two years to the day before the October 22nd

demonstration, on the same spot, supporters of Tom David's White

Student Union attcked members of Anti-Racist Action and the

Progressive Student Organization, resulting in a concussion for one

activist.

     Kieran goes to trial April 12/94 [Ed. Note: The trial has been

delayed to August 2, 1994]. Write or call the Prosecutor and the

DA and demand all charges be dropped!



County Attorney Mike Freeman

C2000 Hennepin County Govt. Center

300 S. 6th St.

Minneapolis, Mn 55415

(612) 348-5550



Info/Contact: Anti-Fascist Defense Committee c/o Minneapolis ABC,

P.O. Box 7075, Minneapolis, MN 55407 USA



20) On The Prowl Subscription Information



On The Prowl is the voice behind Toronto's Anti-Racist Action. On

The Prowl provides a forum for anti-fascist strategies and reports

up-to-date news on street-level organizing against racism and

fascism. On The Prowl is not interested in debating with the

fascists, but it does want to hear from other anti-racist activists

with feedback, opinions and reports. On The Prowl comes out every

two months...free on the streets...$5/year subscription by mail

($25/year for institutions). Bulk copies to distribute in schools

and events are available at $5/20 copies. (We accept Canadian Tire

money!) Write to ON THE PROWL at the address below and get involved

today!



21) Some Stuff We Disitribute



Boys In The Hoods...This pamphlet serves as a basic overview of

the neo-Nazi movement in Toronto..........................FREE

CARF-Campaign Against Racism and Fascism...International

perspectives and news on community action against racism and

fascism in Britain.......................................$2.00

Fighting the Klan...A thesis produced by the Sojourner Truth

Organisation in the U.S. to combat the rise of fascism...$2.00

Fascism in the U.S...An historical survey, also produced by the

STO, on the operations of neo-Nazi groups like the Ku Klux Klan in

the U.S..................................................$2.00

No KKK, No Fascist USA!...Newspaper of the John Brown Anti-Klan

Committee................................................$1.00

Race Traitor...A quarterly publication containing essays and

letters on the issues of race and class..................$5.00

Turning The Tide...Journal of anti-racist activism, research and

education from P.A.R.T.(People Against Racist Terror)....$2.00



New Stuff!!



ARA Education Package...an essential collection of articles and

essays compiled for the serious anti-racist. Includes everything

from a look at racism, sexism and homophobia, through an historical

documentation of the far-right, to insight on the various examples

of anti-racist projects and experiences. Complete with reading and

resource lists. Order yours now...Knowledge is Power!....$7.00



ARA Info-Package #1:Fighting Fascism in the Highschools...Every-

thing students need to know in order to combat far-right activity

in their schools, including a collection of stickers and posters

to get started with......................................$5.00



ARA Info-Package #2:Zundel's Gotta Go!...a collection of articles,

clippings and pamphlets which serve as a primer for all who are

interested in forwarding the Campaign to Stop Zundel.....$5.00



Far-Right Clippings Packages...these collections of mainstream

media newspaper clippings, dating from the late-80s to present-day,

offer some background on the far-right in Canada. Nazis in the

military..boneheads on parade..anti-racist demonstrations. It's all

here! Vol.1/2/3/4...................................$4.00 each



T-Shirts & Buttons:



T-Shirts (Two designs - not shown) are $10.00 each.



Buttons (Five designs - not shown) are $1.00 each.



Postage: Add 20% of the total cost of merchandise with a $1.00

minimum. For outside of North America postage costs are double.



Distribution List: Send $1.00 for a complete list of literature,

T-Shirts, buttons, videos and much more.



22) Get Involved!



     In the fight against racism and fascism, our aim is confront

and hinder the activities of the far-right in Canada. Everyone has

a role to play in ARA, whether they feel confident in street-level

actions or not. From legal observers to scouts and first-aid

people, from leafleters to people who can write articles or speak

in highschools, ARA needs people with a whole range of skills if

it is to continue to succeed. Fill in and mail the form below and

join today!



This information will be kept confidential and is not for public

broadcast or print.

_ I want to be informed of future ARA events

_ I want to be informed of future ARA demonstrations

_ I can help poster for ARA events/protests

_ All of the above

Name:

Mailing Address:

City:            Code:

Tel.#:



Comments:



23) Call ARA 



     ARA will expose and oppose organized racism and hatred through

education, mass action and support of broader anti-racist action.

     Want to get involved? Call or write:



ARA

P.O. Box 664, Stn. C

Toronto, Ont.

M6J 3S1

Canada



Telephone: 416 631 8835



