Hamilton, Ont. has become fertile ground for right-wing extremists, and city leaders have so far demonstrated themselves to be profoundly ill-equipped to respond effectively. A cascade of policy failures and glaring missteps have exposed a rift between the city and its most vulnerable constituents. The dynamics playing out here are symptomatic of a broader movement across Canada insinuating itself into politics at every level. We cannot afford to ignore the danger of fascist movements, and recent events in Hamilton offer a poignant case study for all Canadian cities in how not to respond to the growing threat.

Ryan McGreal Storm clouds gather over Hamilton City Hall.

HuffPost Canada Owned Right-wing protestors across the street from Hamilton City Hall on Saturday, July 13, 2019.

It seems strange that we should have to spell out the fact that standing up to people who want you dead is different than attacking people because they exist. Yet a 2017 media analysis of six major Canadian dailies found that they condemned anti-fascists almost as strongly as they condemned fascists. So, how is this playing out in Hamilton? ‘The city has been playing right into the fascists’ hands’ Over the past year, the City of Hamilton has made crucial mistakes in dealing with this threat. The city has employed fascists; bought into a narrative framing fascists as victims, and anti-fascists and minorities as aggressors; and approved draft policy to combat extremism which will actually punish legitimate dissent and resistance. In other words, the city has been playing right into the fascists’ hands. Last fall, Hamilton resident Craig Burley learned that former white supremacist leader Marc Lemire was working for the city. A Vice investigation confirmed that Lemire was indeed a network analyst in Hamilton’s employ since the early 2000s. Lemire is the former head of the notorious Heritage Front and worked as the webmaster for neo-Nazi Paul Fromm (who ran unsuccessfully for the city’s mayor in 2018) and Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he was a pioneer in using the internet to disseminate hate literature and recruit members.

Matthew Green A member of the far-right Proud Boys group in Hamilton on June 22, 2019.

Ryan McGreal A list of people killed by fascists written in chalk on the forecourt of Hamilton City Hall on Saturday, July 13, 2019.

Hopperton was an easy target for the police, a polarizing figure who was involved in a March 2018 riot in which anarchists marched through a southwest Hamilton neighbourhood, throwing rocks through windows and shooting fireworks. Hopperton was on parole from that incident, and the police argued the speech constituted a failure to keep the peace. Arresting Hopperton shifted the narrative around the Pride attack by conflating the anti-fascists at the event with the anarchists who had rioted a year earlier, a sore spot for many Hamiltonians. Suddenly it was easier to imagine that the anti-fascists were at least partly to blame for the violence. In all, four of the five people arrested since Pride day have been anti-fascists. Only the fifth arrest was actually a member of the fascist attackers — the so-called “helmet guy” smashing people in the face. At least one councillor bought into the fascist-friendly narrative. A city council meeting on June 26 went sideways after Councillor Sam Merulla denounced the defending anti-fascists while counselling sympathy for the attackers. When members of the gallery erupted in outrage, Merulla openly goaded them until Mayor Fred Eisenberger shut down the meeting and ejected the protesters. When fascists are seen as victims, the apparatus of the state can easily be used to clear a path for them. The queer community in Hamilton is traumatized by this ordeal and how Hamilton police seemed to protect their attackers. And it’s not just in Hamilton.

Steve Russell via Getty Images Several far-right groups held an anti-Muslim, anti-refugee rally in Toronto on March 23, 2019. Several hundred counter protesters stopped them from marching.

This is not a good look, @HamiltonsMayor

I know you don't support fascism but the fascists don't seem to know it. It's past time to rethink your entire approach to this crisis #HamOnt#NeverAgainIsNowpic.twitter.com/vN2YNf1v0k — Ryan McGreal (@RyanMcGreal) July 6, 2019

City civic leaders and authorities owe the communities they serve a real commitment to good faith and fair dealing. Without that, they lose the moral legitimacy to do their jobs. When the fascists believe the city and police are on their side, and the public is split over who is to blame for violence, more of these groups come out of the woodwork and feel emboldened to act more aggressively. So far, fascists have enjoyed considerable success at legitimizing their agenda in the public discourse while the apparatus of Hamilton’s civic authority has consistently turned against their victims. The only thing that has held them in check has been coordinated, direct action from anti-fascists. Over the past few weeks, large and diverse counter-protests at city hall have thwarted the Yellow Vest demonstrations, sending a clear message that many Hamiltonians recognize the danger and are willing to stand in solidarity and support for vulnerable communities.