One of the voices behind Tuesday evening’s demonstration in solidarity with Charlottesville says fascism and white supremacy isn’t isolated to the deep south.
“It’s important to recognize the way the forces that animate the far right and white supremacists in the United States don’t stop at the border,” says Brad Vaughan, who’s with the local activist organization Autonomy East. “They are very much alive and well in Canada and in Halifax.”
Hundreds of neo-nazis, KKK and alt-right extremists rioted this past weekend during a “Unite the Right” rally in the Virginia town. The violence claimed the life of social justice advocate Heather Heyer, who was killed when white supremacist James Alex Fields drove his car through a crowd of counter-protesters. Dozens more were injured, including Deandre Harris, who was beaten over the head with metal pipes.
Like anyone else with an “ounce of empathy,” Vaughan says he’s “rattled and horrified” by the brutality seen in Virginia. Unfortunately, he’s not surprised.
“I think that white supremacists and the far-right have been given significant leeway to organize and utilized narratives of free-speech to prevent communities from confronting and challenging them,” he says. “I think this violence is a natural consequence of that process.”
Similar alt-right rallies are being planned for this weekend in several American cities, but Vaughan says the hatred isn’t confined to Donald Trump’s America. Residents of HRM are spray-painting nazi imagery on North Preston election signs, “doxxing” anti-fascist activists and proudly disrupting Indigenous events in Cornwallis Park.
That’s why Vaughan and other organizers are putting together this evening’s “Against white supremacy! Against the far-right! Solidarity with Charlottesville!” demonstration, scheduled for 6:30pm in Cornwallis Park.
Vaughan says staging the rally in front of the statue named for Halifax’s founder—who infamously ordered a proclamation for Mi’kmaq scalps—is meant to echo Charlottesville. The Virginia rally was organized in response to plans to tear down a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee.
“Part of why we’re having the rally at the Cornwallis statue is recognizing that parallel, the way that these sort of pieces of acceptable public celebrations of historical racism are still used by white supremacists.”
Public outcry to tear down Halifax’s problematic memorial has sharply increased this year, leading to a recent demonstration where Cornwallis was ceremonially covered with a tarp (for a couple of hours). City council, meanwhile, has begun the methodical process to assemble an expert panel and study whether HRM should change the way it honours its founder.
With more and more American cities toppling their Confederate statues, many in Halifax have stepped up calls to mayor Mike Savage and council to do the same. Vaughan says the city’s slow dance with Cornwallis—along with the police department’s refusal to put a moratorium on its street check practice—exists on the same political spectrum that emboldens racist thoughts like those seen in Charlottesville.
“That sort of liberal, mainstream acceptable racist practice is really what provides fertile ground for the far right and neo-nazis,” he says.
A list of resources to help in Charlottesville, including GoFundMe pages for Heyer and Harris, can be found here.
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This article appears in Aug 10-16, 2017.
I saw this article coming from ten miles away.
Yes, Jacob, we’re all dreadfully aware of this sick parallel. Thanks for pointing it out. How shitty to capitalize on such an unnerving, tragic, event and use it to suit your own agenda (everyone involved). Take the statue down, leave it up, it won’t change history. Taking it down will give us fewer reasons to discuss history in fact. But I digress — I really don’t give a fuck about the Cornwallis statue or what happens to it.
Sadly, racism exists everywhere in the world and Halifax is not exempt from that, and we could be doing better, you’re right. But anyone who thinks that this city is anywhere remotely close to places in the US like Charlottesville needs to promptly jump head-first out a thirty story window.
Be happy we live in a country as tolerant (if imperfect) as this one.
Some food for thought on people who want to destroy statues and pretend uncomfortable aspects of history didn’t happen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVqdc_R8Qs…
LaciG, you are precisely wrong in supposing that Halifax is not like Charlottesville, a liberal place with the very liberal University of Virginia smack in the middle of it. Jefferson’s Monticello plantation is there, so like Halifax, it is also steeped in 18th century history. Bear in mind that most of the Unite Tha Righters came from elsewhere looking for a confrontation.
I’d be reluctant to say to what degree racism in Halifax compares to that commonly encountered in public elsewhere, it’s complicated and racism is part of our history but it is definitely not as militantly expressed as with the KKK or Neo Nazi types that visited Charlottesville. So I agree with your last line.
Fair point Andrew. I should not have painted the entire city of Charlottesville with such a broad stroke as there were obviously many people there standing against the Nazi’s, as they should. My fear is people who salivate at the though of being a part of this conflict here in Canada, whether they are Alt-Right or ANTIFA Left.
We are not the U.S.A and I think failing to recognize that difference is a mistake. Of course racism is terrible but there’s a huge difference between cops doing street checks and White Supremacy. Let’s be real, no matter which side of the discussion you’re on. (I, personally, am not in favour of street checks).
I just came back to add this:
I’m watching a VICE interview where one of the Charlottesville Nazi’s claims to have driven down from Canada. So I am forced to admit that some of my previous statements on this thread are misled. In light of the hateful events that took place over the weekend, perhaps I was viewing Canada with rose-coloured glasses. I still would like to believe that this nation is built on principles of unity and hope, at least that’s something worth fighting for. I still am proud to be Canadian.
My current mode of thinking now is that individuals like these are a very small fringe minority here in Canada and I hope I’m not wrong about that. The only thing I can say with certainty is that they do not speak for me or anyone I know and they do not represent Canada or Canadians. Not only do they not speak for/represent us, but they are an affront to the values that make us Canadian and we oppose them.
I do not want to see this country divide the way the U.S is dividing now. Regardless of your beliefs or political affiliations, now is the time to come together. Be open minded, be compassionate, be understanding.
This brings us back, yet again, to the Cornwallis statue. What to do? Half the voices say to take it down and half the voices want it to stay. If we can come together to find a solution that appeases both sides that would be a monumental first step and an outstanding example of what can be done if we set aside our differences and finger-pointing in favour of a unified solution. This may require some concessions from both sides so I guess the question is: can we be better, collectively, than we are as separate political factions? I say yes. I am willing to try.
“Love is better than Anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic and we’ll changed the world.” – Jack Layton
You wanna fuel organizations like the “Alt Right” and the likes, keep demonizing everyone with right leaving views, likening them to Neo Nazis and the KKK. Comparing the 5 “Proud Boys” in Halifax having a sarcastically polite chat with some protesters with flag flying, hood dawning NeoNazis and the KKK is a pretty far stretch, but then I remembered what publication I am reading and it all makes sense.
I see we are already using language like “utilized narratives of free-speech” and shudder to think what convoluted “good” can come from bullshit catch phrases like this. Yup, let’s limit everyone’s free-speech because some backward-ass’d racists are skirting the rules… that makes perfect sense. It’s extreme left views like this that make me want to stand a little more right of centre, and I have alwasy been, for the most part, a left leaning Democratic Socialist.
I blame the media (both sides of it) for this extreme rift in political polarity, and articles like this stoke the fire it aims to put out. When the media attacks a person’s beliefs they are essentially attacking their egos, and bullying them into picking sides cuz there is no middle ground anymore, forcing people to make choices they may not have seen themselves ever make. I think everyone needs a heaping helping of humility, and should chill the fuck out!!!