EDMONTON—Standing onstage, a man in a video recites a white supremacist slogan in Churchill Square — a place named after a world leader instrumental in defeating the Nazis.

“We must secure our existence and a future for white children!” the man shouts proudly to cheers from a crowd of about 15 people in Edmonton’s main public square. The video was captured on March 30 and uploaded to YouTube on April 9.

The irony isn’t lost on Bridget Stirling. The public school trustee and co-founder of Hate Free YEG said the video also demonstrates how brazen hate groups in Edmonton have become.

“It’s becoming so common that you sort of feel sad that it’s less surprising than it used to be,” Stirling said.

In the same recording, another speaker talks about the replacement of the white population and compares migrants to “sewage” and “riff-raff.”

“It just astonishes me. Churchill Square is a place we all go,” Stirling said. “It’s this kind of community gathering space. To see that become a space for this vocal, overt hate rally, it’s like a physical feeling of revulsion and sadness.”

Stirling has observed how the supposed dangers of illegal immigration and refugees have become central themes in the yellow vest movement, which found fertile ground in Edmonton. While the movement was born from economic anxiety, yellow vest protests have also provided a platform to a number of far-right organizations.

In recent weeks, far-right groups have made a show of force in Edmonton and have been clashing with masked counterprotesters. The skirmishes are now a common sight every Saturday, moving between the legislature and the Whyte Ave. area. Meanwhile, the language far-right groups are using online is becoming increasingly militant, and reports of threats and harassment are on the rise.

Stirling worries hate is being normalized in Edmonton.

“If you look at the (recent) history of extremist hate movements … a lot of that’s been fuelled by the rise of right-wing rhetoric in social media,” Stirling said.

Several of the far-right organizations have been classified as hate groups by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, a non-profit organization that researches and monitors them. Although they have different branding, the groups are united by ideology.

A website attributed to the Worldwide Coalition Against Islam says its members are working to prevent an “evil Islamic invasion.” A Facebook user going by JJ Clarke, claiming to represent the local chapter of Northern Guard, said the group fights to “keep their country the same.” Lloyd Thomas, a former member of Edmonton’s Soldiers of Odin, previously told Star Edmonton the group is concerned about a culture clash between Muslim and non-Muslim Canadians.

Each weekend, the number of far-right demonstrators varies from a handful of individuals to larger contingents of 10 to 15 people.

But in recent weeks, the far-right groups have been outflanked by the counterprotesters, who number in the dozens. Banded together under the name Capital City Antifascist Resistance, the counter protesters have been showing up to yellow vest rallies since December to denounce the attendance of the far-right groups.

Clarke accused the counterprotesters of being members of “Antifa” — a loose conglomeration of anti-fascist groups that sometimes resort to violence — because they cover their faces. The counterprotesters say they are afraid of harassment if their photos are posted online.

“We stand up for all Canadians of all nationalities, but Antifa stands against everybody that does not believe (in) their way of doing things — so tell me who is the hate group?” Clarke said.

Disclaimer: This video of a clash between protesters in Edmonton contains profane language.

Counterprotester Devin Murphy-Hopp said it appears the more mainstream elements of the yellow vest movement are dwindling, while the far-right groups are holding their ground.

“A lot of the more centrist and conservative-leaning yellow vests, I assume they’re not showing up because they’re realizing it’s either not worth it or it’s because of these groups coming out,” Murphy-Hopp said.

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In the March 30 video showing the speech in Churchill Square, people wearing Soldiers of Odin and Northern Guard insignias on their jackets clash with counterprotesters near the Alberta legislature. Sirens can be heard several times, but Edmonton police and Alberta sheriffs do not intervene until an actual fight breaks out.

Evan Balgord, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, said these groups have been spreading Islamophobic and hateful ideas for years, but it’s alarming to see them speaking in public squares and engaging in violence on city streets.

“It should be national news for that reason alone. We’ve got these racist, essentially white street gangs, who are saying neo-Nazi (slogans) and saying they’re going to beat up anti-racist demonstrators,” said Balgord. “And they’re barely beating around the bush about it.”

Both sides frequently accuse police of not doing enough to intervene or that they have taken sides in the protest. In a statement, Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee said: “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

McFee said police must balance the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ provisions for free speech and assembly with Criminal Code laws related to hate crimes.

“In most cases, groups that promote extremist or radical views are well aware of this balance and are careful to stay within their legal rights,” McFee said. “Although citizens might not like what is being said, these groups and individuals have the right to speak and assemble, within bounds. As soon as these bounds are crossed, police take action.”

McFee condemned hateful or violent actions and said the Edmonton Police Service is sworn to protect all citizens, regardless of their beliefs. He said most of the protesters are simply “regular citizens who have strong feelings about social issues.”

“Unfortunately, a small minority of participants are simply interested in disruptive and offensive behaviour,” McFee said.

Stirling, the Hate Free YEG co-founder, has seen such “offensive behaviour” spill into her personal life as a result of her activism.

On April 6, Stirling attended a yellow vest protest outside NDP Leader Rachel Notley’s constituency office near Whyte Ave. She tweeted her concerns about the event, which were quickly shared and mocked by yellow vest supporters online. Another user posted Stirling’s personal Facebook account with the words: “Here is her fb for those that want to show her some love.”

Stirling’s social media was then flooded with messages. None were overt threats, she said, but one person contacted her employer to try to get her fired.

That’s just a glimpse into how intensely personal these conflicts can be, but the incidents take many forms. Star Edmonton was sent a video of a former Soldiers of Odin member showing up to a person’s house and accusing them of assaulting one of their supporters. Last week, a Kijiji ad was posted to Twitter, suggesting the far-right group Canadian Infidels is “recruiting for Antifa hunters” and will “shoot first n ask later.”

Stirling said it’s disturbing that far-right groups feel safe to openly preach racist ideas in Edmonton, while concerned citizens feel the need to conceal their identity to counter hate.

“Citizens don’t feel safe. Regular folks in the community don’t feel safe,” Stirling said. “You end up with a group of folks who say, ‘OK, police aren’t helping us. What do we do?’”

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