Revolutionary Student Movement

On Saturday, March 23, PEGIDA once again met at the corner of University and Armoury to instigate hate. This rally came less than a week after a white supremaci...st terrorist in New Zealand ruthlessly shot down 49 Muslims in their peaceful place of worship. With the protection of the police, the Islamophobic group joined with its white supremacist friends (including the Proud Boys, the Northern Guard, and the 3%ers) and Canadian Yellow Vesters (in total numbering about 40) behind barricades, many of them armed with reinforced gloves, tactical knives, and in one special case, a katana/umbrella crossover. They were met by over 250 militant anti-fascist, anti-racist, and anti-Islamphobia community organizers. Together, we drowned out PEGIDA’s megaphones and stopped the group from marching, even as the police twice attempted to facilitate PEGIDA’s attempts to enter the street. Although our hard boiled egg snacks were confiscated (#WeStandWithEggBoy), our spirits remained strong throughout the event. We noticed that CityTV and the Toronto Sun were both interested in providing a platform for the fascists, to which we firmly reiterate our position that providing a platform for fascists is not support of free speech but rather an act of complicity in hate speech. When we say no platform for fascists, we mean no platform for fascists. Let there be no mistake that the perpetrator of the Christchurch massacre, PEGIDA, and their supports are united by the same Islamophobic ideology. Though it may have been one angry white man that pulled the trigger, it has been PEGIDA and their supporters who have been stoking the fire, spreading hate and outlandish conspiracy theories about some supposed Islamicisation of the West shares responsibility for the bloodshed in New Zealand and Québéc. A few things remain clear after this most recent rally: hate speech cannot and will not be tolerated in the streets of Toronto, and the anti-fascist, anti-racist, and anti-Islamophobia communities of the city are stronger than ever in our solidarity against the violent forces of the right. Thank you to everyone who came out on Saturday to oppose Islamophobia and hatred in Toronto! Given the recent events in New Zealand, we were grateful to see so many comrades on the front lines to fight against white supremacy, nationalism, and Islamophobia. We hope to see everyone at the next rally on May 4th! Solidarity and strength to you and yours.

Fuck the pigs! #ACAB