Extremists Demonstrating At City Hall Forecourt
Beginning in the summer of 2019, members of the hate group Yellow Vests Canada began appearing in the City Hall forecourt sharing hate-filled comments and posters. As a way of standing up to hate, many Hamiltonians chose to gather each Saturday in the forecourt in peaceful protest. Many people expressed disappointment and concern with the lack of response and support from City Hall.
Far-right activity not taken seriously enough in Hamilton, sociologist says
Right-wing extremism is happening everywhere but this expert says Hamilton’s response is lacking
CBC News · Posted: Jul 01, 2019
As the city wrestles with recent violence at Pride and ongoing yellow vest rallies, a sociologist says Hamilton has had “very little” response to far-right activity in the city.
Many places are seeing a rise in extreme right-wing movements, said Tina Fetner, a sociology professor at McMaster University who specializes in right wing activism and LGTBQ politics.
But she says Hamilton has had a particularly muted response.
City looks at banning white nationalist groups from flexing muscle on city property
Samantha Craggs · CBC News · Posted: Aug 14, 2017
A Hamilton city councillor wants to ban outside groups from doing security duties on city property in an effort to ward off the potential for a deadly incident like the one in Charlottesville. Matthew Green of Ward 3 says the self-professed “patriot group” Canadian Three Percenters did security detail on July 29, when the Canadian Combat Coalition held a rally at city hall against federal anti-Islamophobia Motion 103. The rally got heated when anti-fascism demonstrators clashed with coalition members. Now Green wants to ban outside groups from presenting themselves as security to prevent future rallies from getting bloodier.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/three-percenters-security-1.4247066
Hate bus fallout:Hamilton adds concrete barriers at city hall to protect rally goers from vehicles
By The Hamilton Spectator
Fri., Sept. 13, 2019
Hamilton added new concrete planters to protect residents in front of city hall after a “hate bus” mounted the curb during a rally last month – and more forecourt barriers may be on the way.
Many residents were disturbed to see a battered yellow school bus – with a sign in the window warning about “foreigners” – climb onto the sidewalk and park in front of city hall during an August anti-hate rally. Hamilton police eventually talked the driver of the bus into leaving, but critics questioned why officers didn’t arrest or ticket him – especially since an LGBTQ+ protester was later arrested.
Anti-hate protestors face off against yellow vesters at Hamilton City Hall
By Natalie PaddonSpectator Reporter
The Hamilton Spectator
Sun., June 23, 2019
Demonstrators rallied peacefully at city hall on Saturday to send a message that hate has no place in Hamilton. Dozens of people showed up in the forecourt with signs reading “No More Hate in the Hammer” and “I am Taking Space Away from Hate.” They stood on one side of a barricade erected by police to separate them from so-called yellow vesters, who have been rallying outside city hall on Saturdays for months. The action comes after a violent homophobic protest broke out at the Pride festival at Gage Park June 15 and amid these ongoing yellow vest rallies.