This post has been reviewed by the Vancouver Media Co-op editorial committee.

Not a good year for neo-Nazi 'Blood and Honour' Canada

Members charged with hate crimes, rallies smashed, one killed

by A. Molotov

2012 is turning into very bad year for the neo-Nazi group Blood and Honour in Canada. On March 24, two 'white pride' rallies organized by B & H chapters in Edmonton, Alberta, and London, Ont., fizzled after overwhelming numbers of anti-fascists drove them from the streets and effectively shut them down.

In Edmonton, about 200 anti-fascists rallied against a reported 24 neo-Nazis, who made a brief appearance on the street before running into a transit station under police protection. Similarly, in London, over 100 anti-fascists confronted a small group of neo-Nazis, who fled the streets and abandoned a planned march on city hall (Youtube video here).

Meanwhile in Vancouver, BC, the local B & H chapter didn't even attempt a public rally. Three members of B & H have been charged with hate crimes for three separate assaults on people of colour, dating back to 2008. One of the more heinous attacks they are said to have carried out was the Oct. 10, 2009, assault on a Filipino male who was set on fire on Commerical Drive.

The three accused are Alistair Miller (20), Robertson De Chazal (25), and Shawn MacDonald (39). Not until December 2011 did police lay charges against them, using hate crime legislation (which affects sentences if convicted). Their subsequent court appearances have seen small rallies organized by anti-racists and anti-fascists. Their actual trials will not occur until early 2013.

On March 17, Jan Korinth (26), an associate of MacDonald's and reported member of B & H, was fatally stabbed in a Surrey apartment during an alleged home invasion. A second unidentified male, aged 36, was found with head injuries and later released from hospital.

According to a CBC news article a few days later, an associate of Korinths' who used the name 'Mike' contacted the CBC claiming the killing was a 'hate crime', stating:

"The people or person that killed Jan knew he lived there. They went there and planned to attack, no doubt because Jan was a member of Blood and Honour. It was a hate crime against our people. We will not stop until there is justice for our fallen comrade."

A more recent CTV article has police claiming Jan was not a resident of the apartment but instead one of the home invaders. The purpose or target of the home invasion has not yet been established.

Blood and Honour was established in 1987 by Ian Stuart Donaldson, lead singer of the neo-Nazi band Skrewdriver. Donaldson was killed in 1993 in a car accident. B & H takes its name from a slogan used by the Hitler Youth. The organization has served as a propaganda and recruitment arm for fascist skinhead groups in Europe and North America, primarily. Members have been charged with a variety of crimes over the years, from assault to murder.

For more info and updates on the recent anti-fascist rallies, see the Anti-Racist Canada blogspot:

http://anti-racistcanada.blogspot.ca/