Anti-racism groups want Hamilton venues to shut their doors to 'violent extremism' group Diagolon

Community groups in Hamilton are asking venues in the city to shut their doors to Diagolon, a far-right group named in a 2022 House of Commons report as an example of "ideologically motivated violent extremism." 

The group purportedly plans to stop in the city as part of a Canadian tour this summer. 

"It's important to have voices and coalitions of folks to shut them down," Caitlin Craven, who directs the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI), told CBC Hamilton. 

On Wednesday, HCCI, Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre and Disability Justice Network of Ontario called on the city to act, after the group's founder advertised a list of cities Diagolon was planning to visit over the next few weeks, including Hamilton.

Community members, groups, elected officials and institutions should "take action by publicly denouncing and opposing Diagolon and their tour of hate," their post on social media said.

It also included a list of "tangible actions" to take, such as venues denying bookings to Diagolon, politicians denouncing the group, and community members attending or supporting counter-events. 

Diagolon was founded by podcaster Jeremy MacKenzie.

Barbara Perry, director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, calls it an "accelerationist" and "white supremacist" group. 

According to Perry, "they wish to accelerate what they see as a civil war" that will restore a white, Christian ethno-state.

She said the group became widely known during the 2022 Freedom Convoy — a big tent protest movement against the federal government and pandemic public health measures. 

MacKenzie and his followers have denied this characterization, saying onlookers are misunderstanding what they call jokes. They appear to play into the image of themselves as villains, using a demonic goat as a mascot and calling their upcoming travels the Road Rage Terror Tour. 

'Extreme ideologies' need to be confronted: HCCI

"They're gonna say it was all tongue in cheek," Perry said, noting other far-right groups, such as the Proud Boys, followed the path of couching their message in irony before becoming more hard line. 

"Their perspective is one of violence, and one that is extremely violent, racist, homophobic and transphobic," Craven said. "The way that people are impacted by racism tells us that this isn't a joke."

CBC Hamilton requested comment from MacKenzie but did not hear back before publication. 

The diagonal slash on the flag used by Diagolon is meant to refer to a white ethno-state between Alaska and Florida, Perry said, and the group's messaging includes increasing hostility toward South Asians and opposition to non-white immigration.

"It's made up of former members of the Canadian Forces, individuals with real combat training, with real capabilities and who have grown increasingly radicalized, especially because of COVID.... These are the kinds of groups that I consider to be a real and significant threat to Canadian public safety at large," the 2022 House of Commons report says, quoting Mubin Shaikh, a professor of public safety at Seneca College. 

Mackenzie has promoted the summer tour online, listing events in Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Nova Scotia. No specific city for Nova Scotia is named. MacKenzie's website also notes upcoming meet-and-greets in Lethbridge, Alta., Winnipeg, and Kamloops, Tofino and Nanaimo, all in B.C.

MacKenzie's website is selling tickets to the Hamilton event for $60, but no venue is listed. 

Craven said that's likely intentional, to avoid being blocked. MacKenzie promoted a July 6 event in Ottawa and has posted images purportedly from the event. Some local politicians later condemned it. The organization that rented the venue out told CTV it did not know who planned the event. 

It's tricky to deal with groups like Diagolon because they want attention, Perry said. 

"They want to create a stir" in the public and in the media. Still, she said, people need to talk about them. 

"We really need to pay attention to what the intention is associated with these appearances," which include fundraising, propaganda and attracting supporters. 

Craven said "extreme ideologies" need to be confronted before they become mainstream.

She said many people responding to HCCI's posts said they did not know about the group beforehand.

On Thursday, in an emailed statement to CBC Hamilton that she shared on social media, Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said she is "appalled" by news of the tour, saying the group "promotes hate" and condemns its presence.

Everyone has the right to live in their city free of racism and discrimination, and as leaders, we have a responsibility to stand up to hate every time we see or hear it.- Andrea Horwath, Hamilton mayor

"Hamilton has no place for hate," she said.

"Everyone has the right to live in their city free of racism and discrimination, and as leaders, we have a responsibility to stand up to hate every time we see or hear it. This group is not welcome here."

Horwath reiterated her comments during a council meeting Friday, prompting support from councillors. 

In denouncing Diagolon and others like it, Perry said politicians need to go beyond "platitudes," such as simply saying hate has no place in their communities and to specifically unpack the harms.

Acknowledging you're against hate is a good starting point, Craven said, but it's also important to name specific ideologies — including white supremacy, antisemitism and homophobia — if one is to meaningfully challenge them.

In 2022, Horwath signed an anti-hate pledge on behalf of the city. Organized by a coalition of community groups including HCCI, the pledge launched alongside an anti-hate toolkit. Speaking outside city hall at the launch, Horwath said she saw it as an opportunity "to take a visible, firm, unwavering stand against hate."

The work of groups such as HCCI to encourage venues not to book them is an important pressure point too, Perry said, as are counter-events. 

She said it's important to "remind people across the community that there are more people that would resist these narratives than support them."

Hamilton has a 'long history of hate,' anti-racism expert says 

Perry noted the group seems to have chosen cities to visit that, like Hamilton, are known to have receptive audiences. 

The city has a "long history of hate," Craven said, and it's important to reckon with the need for more work fighting it.  

Hamilton-born former federal cabinet minister Catherine McKenna reshared HCCI's post, saying, "as a proud Hamiltonian, joining the community in standing up against white supremacy and hate." 

Horwath said she has spoken to the Hamilton Police Service, which is "actively monitoring" the situation. 

In an email to CBC Hamilton, the police service said it was aware of Diagolon's apparent planned visit to the city. 

"At this time, we have not had direct communication with the organizers and the event's specific location remains unknown. We are taking this matter seriously and are fully prepared to respond to any situation that may arise," police spokesperson Jackie Penman said.

"Hamilton Police Service officers are trained to monitor and manage demonstrations, and we are committed to taking action if any illegal activity occurs…. Hate crime in Hamilton is not acceptable. Left unchecked, hate crime can have a far-reaching impact on communities."

Perry said police should monitor Diagolon, but noted that what members say is often "lawful but awful," and doesn't cross the line into criminal hate speech.

In April, federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre came under fire for meeting with people protesting the federal carbon tax in Atlantic Canada who also had a Diagolon flag drawn on their recreational vehicle (RV). 

Since then, the Liberals have repeatedly mentioned the group in attacks on Poilievre and his party. For instance, while in the House of Commons on May 1, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked if Poilievre "might take this opportunity to reassure Canadians that he neither supports extremist, white nationalist organizations like Diagolon nor wants their votes." 

In early June, a Nova Scotia judge threw out charges, including criminal harassment, against MacKenzie and his partner Morgan Guptill, who the Crown had accused of harassing the province's chief medical officer of health in 2022. 

The judge said the couple's rights had been violated because it took too long for them to stand trial.