The so-called “Students for Freedom of Expression” (not to be confused with the equally repugnant “Free Speech Club”) are at it again.

After hosting radical atheist and friend of the far right Armin Navabi last week, the Students for Freedom of Expression (SFE) have announced they plan to bring Ricardo Duchesne and Mark Hecht to UBC on Wednesday, October 9.

Duchesne, who joined the SFE at UBC last November, is the neo-Nazi University of New Brunswick professor forced to retire in June after more than 100 of his colleagues signed an open letter condemning his extremism. He regularly talks about the racial superiority of Europeans and his 2017 book, published by a fascist publishing house, is called “Canada in Decay: Mass Immigration, Diversity, and the Ethnocide of Euro-Canadians.”

Meanwhile, Hecht is the author of that white nationalist opinion piece in the Vancouver Sun arguing that “Canada should say goodbye to diversity, tolerance, and inclusion.” He’s a sessional instructor of geography at Calgary’s Mount Royal University, and his self-published 2016 book is titled “Why Europeans Naturally Invaded the New World.”

If this event goes ahead as planned, Students Against Bigotry will have to prepare a bold response. Will you join us in standing up to white nationalism and xenophobia at UBC?

Ricardo Duchesne taught sociology at UNB while moonlighting on white nationalist podcasts and spouting racist conspiracy theories

This exposé of the neo-Nazi professor in the US-based Huffington Post is what prompted his colleagues to start an open letter condemning him. “It’s a case that shows how, when white supremacists are left to fester, they can co-opt legitimate institutions and public discourse.”

Mark Hecht saw that the Vancouver Sun and Postmedia were sympathetic to white nationalist views, and he took advantage

Following the publication of his vile anti-immigrant op-ed and the backlash that ensued, there was no shortage of articles criticizing Postmedia, discussing how it happened, and linking it to the much bigger problem of the media’s shift to the (far) right.

The Hellenic Community of Vancouver hasn’t learned from its mistakes

In March, it was Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern. This time, it’s Maxime Bernier and the far-right People’s Party of Canada. A demonstration is being planned for Wednesday.

Have you told your friends and classmates about our Amazon petition?

We’re now at over 100 signatures, but that won’t be enough to draw the admin’s attention to this vital issue. Please share it widely and help us get our next 100 signatures! #NeverAgainIsNow

SAB supports the climate strike!

Climate catastrophe isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s also a social, political, and economic one. In short, it’s an everything issue. And to change everything, we need everyone. With this in mind, we hope to see you on Friday!