03.21.2011 09:26 AM

Neo-Nazis in Calgary

As I said to the reporter: where the Hell is Mayor Nenshi?  Why hasn’t he resourced the Calgary Police Service to deal with what is clearly a growing problem?

The largest factor in keeping the numbers down may not have been who was there, but who was wasn’t. Kyle McKee, who Calgary police call the “micro-fuhrer” and leads Blood and Honour here, is in jail, leaving white nationalists in Calgary without their chief organizer.

The reduced numbers shouldn’t be taken as a sign that such groups are waning, according Warren Kinsella, who wrote Web of Hate, a book about organized racism.

“They don’t need a whole bunch of people. They actually prefer to have smaller numbers because it makes detection and infiltration easier to avoid,” Mr. Kinsella said in an interview. “They operate on the basis that small numbers can do large harm.”

Calgary was alone among Canadian cities in hosting a neo-Nazi demonstration on Saturday. But Mr. Kinsella, a former Calgarian, argued this is no reason to believe white supremacists have abandoned those cities.

“There is a danger into being lulled into a false sense of security by minimal numbers,” he said.

While noting it is unfair to associate white supremacy with only Calgary, Mr. Kinsella slammed the way police have approached the matter. The Calgary police service employs a hate-crimes co-ordinator, rather than a dedicated unit.

Paul Stacey, a duty inspector with Calgary Police Service, said that the hate-crimes co-ordinator works with CPS’ diversity resources unit. “This is not something we’ve ignored,” he said, arguing that the city has a low rate of hate-crimes. The city’s hate-crimes co-ordinator was at the rallies Saturday, “taking names and… figuring out who’s who,” Mr. Stacey said.

White supremacy “is not a real strong movement,” in the city, he added.

 

24 Comments

  1. Nastyboy says:

    Much ado about nothing. 15 bigots showed up. Over 200 Calgarians showed up to shout them down. There is no growing neo-nazi problem in Calgary. It just makes a snappy headline.

    • Warren says:

      How many guys did McVeigh have?

      • Nastyboy says:

        By all means keep an eye on them, I’m sure CSIS, the RCMP and Calgary police are doing just that. I’m just saying that these idiots are no more a problem in Calgary than they are anywhere else in the country. Like you did in the article. I don’t see it as a growing movement. But I’m sure there will be a bunch of mouth-breathers posting what they assume to be ever so witty comments about how all Albertans are Nazis, so maybe I’m being a little defensive about my home province.

        • hugger says:

          Some examples of well known Western wit;

          “Why isn’t Julian Assange dead yet?”

          “Bums, scum and Maritimers”.

          “Let the eastern bastards freeze in the dark”.

          Re: #3

          “This blunt assessment of his sympathy with other Canadians didn’t make him a political pariah: Klein went on to become an equally blunt provincial premier of Alberta. He was speaking to his power base: the people of Alberta with a chip on their shoulder about the rest of Canada.”

          If it weren’t for those sort of things maybe you wouldn’t feel the need to be defensive.

          • Nastyboy says:

            Yes….because obviously those opinions represent all Albertans. You take my statement about petty regionalism and respond with petty regionalism? Brilliant.

          • hugger says:

            Clearly enough of them for the likes of Klein to succeed there.

            So, how is quoting Jack boots Flanagan petty regionalism unless you associate him and his CPC affiliates. with the Western region exclusively?

            And don’t forget, it was they who made the statements, not some easterner. Never mind the straw man tactic.

          • hugger says:

            Never heard any of your examples Les, so I’m not so sure about them being well known examples.

            #2 was none other than the illustrious Mr. Klein too.

            About the sensitivity to German invasion; is that why I see so many disparaging remarks by Westerners toward Hutterites?

            While you guys are looking for possible threats, don’t forget to look up regularly. You never know.

          • Nastyboy says:

            So according to your logic, you can brand an entire province based on idiotic comments made by former politicians and private citizens? Stereotyping your fellow Canadians? Really hugger? Really?

            You brought up Flannigan to smear Albertans, not me. If anyone is associating him and the CPC with the entire province it’s you. And I could bring up a whole bunch of examples of politicians of all types insulting different regions of the country. So what? Unlike you, I understand that the comments of a few don’t represent the majority.

          • hugger says:

            “And I could bring up a whole bunch of examples of politicians of all types insulting different regions of the country. ”

            Go ahead, fill your boots. Remember this one criteria though. Only name politicians who after having made hateful and degrading comments toward people from other parts of the country, and displayed total selfishness favoring one area of the country, then went on to be elected multiple times by the electorate in their home area.

            As to Flanagan, he’s yours to own along with the rest of the U of C Tea Party wannabe’s and recently discredited Waterboys.

            So, maybe if your fellows didn’t show such a high level of support for people who trash their fellow Canadians and make ridiculously aggressive statements you wouldn’t feel the need to be defensive.

          • Nastyboy says:

            Hugger, using my wish not to turn this issue into an excuse for Canadians to turn on each other, to trash the people of Alberta is truly, truly pathetic.

          • Nastyboy says:

            Hugger, using my wish not to turn this issue into an excuse for Canadians to turn on each other, to trash the people of Alberta is truly, truly pathetic. You’re a waste of time.

          • Nastyboy says:

            Hugger, using my wish not for this issue not to turn into an excuse for Canadians to turn on each other, as an excuse to trash the people of Alberta is truly, truly pathetic.

          • hugger says:

            ?If the cranky old men in Alberta don?t like it, too bad.?

            ?Screw the west, we?ll take the rest?.

            ?Alberta can blow me.?

            ———

            ?Why isn?t Julian Assange dead yet??

            ?Bums, scum and Maritimers?.

            ?Let the eastern bastards freeze in the dark?.

            I see a difference. Do you see a difference?

            I wasn’t differentiating between east and west regarding the Hutterites, I know where they live and I agree with your assessment. They seem like really good Canadians to me. It’s just that it’s all too common to see really negative and often hateful comments from Westerners expressing their views on them.

            As to the skeeters, heh. Good one. I come from the swamplands down east, and we have organized squadrons of the little buggers.

          • Guys – Just a thought.

            Put your regional differences aside for a moment.

            The article is a simple affirmation that racism is alive and well in 2011.

            Focus what energy you can on its destruction and I think more regional similarities will emerge.

          • Nastyboy says:

            ?I see a difference. Do you see a difference??

            I’m sure you do. As a hyper-partisan who looks at the world terms of us vs. them, I’m sure you agree wholeheartedly with the negative comments made by your fellow Liberals towards the west in general and Albertans in particular. I would rather view such things as aberrations, and my fellow Canadians with respect. Regardless of our differences.

          • hugger says:

            Cameron, my original response to Mr. Nasty was intended to give him something to think about regarding how the Prairie Conservative element views itself and comments made by their high profile leaders / advisers. As well as how they react to those things. Nasty wrote some flip comment about witty remarks so I pointed out some from their gurus. Clearly, like most of the ilk, they don’t like to be held accountable for what they say or what the people they support say or do.

            I don’t remember a single leader from my region making comments like the ones I quoted, but just as an example of how long CPC supporters remember a perceived slight, Tulk recently referred to Danny Williams as a despot. I don’t recall Mr. Williams having made hateful comments directed toward average people from other regions. I do however remember his ABC campaign and some strong words directed toward the CPC and it’s leader. Fair ball in the political arena.

            So it’s not regional differences that I’m pointing to per se. It’s taking responsibility for not only for what you say, but for who you support after taking into consideration what they have said and done. That speaks of the person / persons who give that support. You don’t have to come out and say it yourself, standing behind those who do is clear indication of agreement and it’s a very short step from slagging other Canadians, to doing the same with other cultures and races.

          • Nastyboy says:

            In short, Hugger feels it’s fair to smear all Albertans as bigots because they vote Conservative. Nope no petty regionalism there.

          • Nikki Sharpe says:

            Hugger, get over yourself. Everyone can see that you were using this as an excuse to cheap shot Alberta. After all the goodwill that Mr. Ignatieff has tried to extend to Albertans too? I saw him speak in Edmonton last year. Albertans treated him with respect and listened to what he had to say. This is how you represent the Liberal party? This is the “Big Red Tent”, Albertans aren’t welcome? The Liberal Party of Canada did a lot to push Albertans away. Mr. Ignatieff admits that, is trying to correct it and people like you who and your useless regional grudges aren’t helping.

            I remember Warren wrote something during the 2008 election, the jist was that one of the problems with the Liberals and Alberta is that a good portion of the Toronto based leadership think that Albertans are all like Jim Keegstra and Terry Long. I guess you do too.

  2. sassy says:

    This site provides information on what is going on in Calgary and other parts on Canada.

  3. wilson says:

    Rapidly mobilizing against neo-Nazis in London, Ontario
    March 14, 2011

    A mainstream press article recently announced that there would be a 50 person neo-nazi rally at city hall, here in London, Ontario — the following day.

    http://www.mediacoop.ca/photo/quickly-mobilizing-against-neo-nazis-london-ontario/6628

  4. eattv says:

    I’m a Nova Scotian who still feels the sting of my whole province being branded racist because of two cross burning criminal morons and one overly simplistic and unfair catch phrase. I’d urge posters here to consider the outsized effect that neos and other boneheads have in turning us against one another regionally. Resist the urge to play the “your part of the country is worse than mine” game. Realize that the vast majority of us never condone racism, and that slagging each other’s home province is cutting off the Canadian nose to spite our regional faces.

  5. Greg says:

    I’m sure they’ll soon splinter and go back to pipe bombing each other.

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