LONGUEUIL, Que.—Dozens of members of the right-wing group La Meute showed up to a college conference on extremism south of Montreal to challenge academic researchers describing their anti-immigration movement as radical.

About 30 members of the group, wearing hats and T-shirts bearing the group’s logo, took seats in the audience at a library at CÉGEP Édouard-Montpetit Wednesday , just ahead of a presentation by sociology professor Martin Geoffroy on the extremist characteristics of La Meute.

Geoffroy’s presentation demonstrated the ways in which La Meute’s activities and communications met the definition of an extremist group. He said such groups generally subscribe to conspiracy theories, decry political elites, exercise strict control over members and call for a return to the traditions of the past.

The disgruntled mumbling and snickering of La Meute members turned into heckling, followed by outright denunciation.

“I am guilty of wanting to protect our identity, our culture, our heritage. I’m guilty of wanting to have immigration laws respected,” said Stéphane Roch, a La Meute member who received cheers from his fellow members.

Sylvain Brouillette, the group’s spokesperson, used a question-and-answer period following Geoffroy’s presentation to criticize what he had heard.

“What we’ve heard today is completely ridiculous. We are not anti-Islam. We are against an Islam that is radical, misogynous, homophobic and racist,” he said.

The presence of La Meute, as well as several members who identified themselves as belonging to the Soldiers of Odin, an international extremist group, shook up what might otherwise have been a staid and intellectual gathering.

Geoffroy said that he felt he was being intimidated.

“I admit that I felt threatened. In my career as a researcher it’s the first time that’s happened and I’ve seen some bizarre and threatening groups in my life,” he said. “To show up to a conference wearing your colours as we say … it was a show of force.”

The conference, which was organized by the school and open to all, had advance warning from members of the Longueuil police force that members of La Meute might be coming, Geoffroy said. As a result, the school south of Montreal took the appropriate security precautions.

Brouillette said La Meute members showed up to counter what he called “disinformation” about the group.

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“We’re not scared to talk about our ideas,” he said. “The studies are totally ridiculous, biased and give a bad image and comes close to defamation. We’re a bit sick of it.”

The conference also heard presentations about the legal limits on freedom of speech, secularism in Quebec and the January 2017 shooting at a Quebec City mosque that killed six Muslim men.

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