Posted on\u00a0January 14, 2018<\/time><\/a><\/span>\u00a0by\u00a0 Trevor Hewitt<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

by TREVOR HEWITT<\/p>\n

Ballistic safety goggles: $17.99, Baseball helmet: $19.99, 3M Respirator: $39.99, Tactical vest with level two body armour: $179.99.<\/p>\n

There are some things free speech can\u2019t buy, and one of them is safety.<\/p>\n

An anti-immigration and anti-Trudeau rally organized by the far-right Canadian Nationalist Front (CNF) took place in Peterborough, Ont., at Confederation Park last September. The organizer of the rally and leader of the CNF is Kevin Goudreau, a self-described white nationalist. The party\u2019s website lists \u201cthe return to Canada\u2019s original predominantly white-European and Native Aboriginal ethnic make up\u201d as one of its main goals. Because the group had no official permit,\u00a0 multiple counter-protests were planned<\/b><\/a>\u00a0for the same day by left-wing activists.<\/p>\n

The results were predictable. On one side, about 20 right-wing protesters. On the other, a few hundred counter-protesters, many wearing masks or bandanas to cover their faces from being identified on social media. Shortly after the original protest begins, hundreds of counter-protesters converge on their position, chanting, \u201cGo home.\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u00a0begin to circle<\/a>\u00a0a man wearing full camouflage and a shirt with the Nazi death\u2019s head skull over the Iron Cross. Shortly after, an individual breaks through the crowd and punches him in the face, knocking off his glasses. \u201cThis is my home, that\u2019s what you bastards don\u2019t understand!\u201d the man yells back, the police now acting as a barrier between the two groups. \u201cYou have no rights, you Nazi piece of shit,\u201d a counter-protester yells. \u201cEverybody has rights,\u201d someone responds. \u201cNo you don\u2019t, get out!\u201d the counter-protester yells back.<\/p>\n

SEE: LEFT AND RIGHT WING PROTESTORS CLASH AT PETERBOROUGH, ONT., RALLY\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rQi3jlBt_Kk\"> \n<\/a>Police say Goudreau did not attend the rally. He made it clear in an email that he does not identify as a Nazi, but rather as a white nationalist. He also says he does not hate other races, but thinks Canada should remain predominantly European and Indigenous. Goudreau has not replied to further questions.<\/p>\nFree speech. It\u2019s a concept that is as vague as it is entrenched in Canadian culture. Almost everyone recognizes the idea; however, in a world where America is\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2017\/10\/05\/poll-americans-divided-party-lines-243466\">more divided along the political spectrum than ever<\/a>\u00a0(and where the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestar.com\/news\/canada\/2017\/05\/27\/maxime-bernier-leads-tory-leadership-race-after-first-ballot-andrew-scheer-second.html\">Conservatives\u2019 most recent leadership race<\/a>\u00a0shows Canada isn\u2019t that much better off) it seems increasingly difficult for people to agree on what it means. For some, it\u2019s carte blanche to say anything, as long as it does not break an already-defined law like slander or libel. For others, it\u2019s more of a testament to the democratic premise of Canadian government, a respectful nod to the notion that you can say things in Western society that could get you killed in more oppressive regimes. And last, but certainly not least, is the growing number who say that it\u2019s time to redefine what free speech means. <\/p>\n<h2>*\u00a0*\u00a0*<\/h2>\n<h2>TO PUNCH OR NOT TO PUNCH (A NAZI)<\/i><\/h2>\n <\/p>\nSitting in a Timothy\u2019s Coffee in Toronto\u2019s east end, James Sears goes through an old Nokia flip phone while taking small sips from a ceramic mug. His messianic black hair extends into waves, bouncing off broad shoulders onto a freshly-ironed shirt. Sears is 56. He doesn\u2019t look it. He is also a self-described National Socialist. He doesn\u2019t look like that either.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-279\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/1st-slide.jpg?w=1000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/1st-slide.jpg 756w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/1st-slide.jpg?w=150 150w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/1st-slide.jpg?w=300 300w\" alt=\"1st-slide\" data-attachment-id=\"279\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/14\/you-cant-say-that-the-state-of-free-speech-in-canada\/1st-slide\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/1st-slide.jpg?w=1000\" data-orig-size=\"756,389\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}\" data-image-title=\"1st-slide\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/1st-slide.jpg?w=1000?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/1st-slide.jpg?w=1000?w=756\" \/><\/p>\nSears is the editor of\u00a0Your Ward News<\/i>, a controversial quarterly newspaper that describes itself as Canada\u2019s \u201clargest anti-Marxist publication.\u201d Much like Goudreau\u2019s CNP,\u00a0Your Ward News<\/i>\u00a0promotes what it describes as \u201cpro-European and Aboriginal sentiments\u201d and is critical of Zionism and what it calls \u201ccultural Marxism\u201d \u2013 the idea that there are no inherent differences in behaviour or culture between different races and demographics. Sears describes the newspaper as satire. On June 6, 2016,after several years of campaigning by groups that have labeled the paper anti-semitic and and pro-Nazi, Canada Post issued what\u2019s known as a prohibitory order, halting future delivery of the paper. Not only was mailing\u00a0Your Ward News<\/i>\u00a0prohibited, Sears and his publisher were both prevented from sending any mail, personal or otherwise, through Canada Post. This has only happened twice before, and only one of those orders concerned hate speech. In 1981, the then-minister ordered that a publishing company owned by Holocaust denier could not use the delivery service. In this case, the order was overturned in a few months by a board of review. Despite his beliefs, Sears says he doesn\u2019t actually hate anyone. That might be true, but other people certainly hate him.<\/p>\nJames Turk is a journalism professor at Ryerson University in Toronto as well as the director of Ryerson\u2019s Centre for Free Expression (CFE).\u00a0He has followed Sears\u2019s case closely as he believes it will likely be the next case where the Supreme Court clarifies their position on what constitutes hate speech. This has already happened before. In 1990, the Supreme Court upheld a ruling against James Keegstra, a public school history teacher in Alberta. Keegstra had been teaching his students a revised history of the holocaust, reinforcing anti-Semitic stereotypes and claiming that Jewish people were overwhelmingly responsible for WW2. He also claimed that the number of Jews killed during the holocaust was wildly exaggerated to garner support for Israel in the aftermath of the war. Keegstra was charged under section 319(2) of the criminal code, which states that it\u2019s illegal to \u201ccommunicate statements, other than in private conversation, wilfully promoting hatred against any identifiable group.\u201d After he was convicted in 1984, Keegstra appealed to the Alberta Supreme Court, who overturned his conviction. The crown then appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada who, in 1990, gave a very definitive definition of what hate speech is in their 4-3 split decision to uphold Keegstra\u2019s conviction.<\/p>\nSEE: FULL INTERVIEW WITH JAMES TURK<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UlF0GTFZPZ0?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"560\" data-height=\"315\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n\u201cThe term \u2018hatred\u2019 connotes emotion of an intense and extreme nature that is clearly associated with vilification and detestation \u2026 [it] is predicated on destruction, and hatred against identifiable groups therefore thrives on insensitivity, bigotry and destruction of both the target group and of the values of our society,\u201d the ruling reads. \u201cHatred in this sense is a most extreme emotion that belies reason; an emotion that, if exercised against members of an identifiable group, implies that those individuals are to be despised, scorned, denied respect and made subject to ill-treatment on the basis of group affiliation.\u201d<\/p>\nBut Turk says it\u2019s the prohibitory order issued by Canada Post that he feels is unconstitutional. When the minister responsible for Canada Post decides to issue a prohibitory order, the affected party has no legal recourse. They can\u2019t challenge the order in trial or have the case heard by a judge. Instead, there only option is to challenge the order and have the case heard by a committee. The problem? The very minister who issued the order gets to select the committee. Not exactly an impartial process. In this case, that minister was Judy Foote, the minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada. Turk says he finds the use of this sort of order to be unconstitutional. \u201cTo give the minister sole authority to indefinitely take away your rights to use the mail and for you to have no right to go to court or anything else but simply to appeal to a review panel that the minister appoints really is below a level of procedural protection that is common in any democratic society.\u201d<\/p>\nYour Ward News<\/i>\u00a0has challenged the order, saying it\u2019s unconstitutional and the satirical nature of the paper makes it OK to distribute it. Sears says that this case is a perfect example of how free speech in Canada only exists on paper. \u201cLegally we can publish our paper. The police haven\u2019t charged us. We haven\u2019t been charged by the cops. So we have free speech. But stones have gone through our windows. People have spray-painted our office. People have intimidated us. People have left shit on my car. So yes, we have free speech, but you have to have balls of steel to exercise it.\u201d<\/p>\nHe says that these restrictions against his paper foster an environment where, despite having free speech on paper, people are actually afraid to exercise it daily. \u201cI\u2019m at the grocery store looking at fruit or vegetables, and somebody comes up to me and whispers, \u2018I love your paper.\u2019 and I go, \u2018Well why are you whispering\u2019 and they say, \u2018Well, I don\u2019t want anybody to know.\u2019 Is that free speech?\u201d<\/p>\nDespite what he describes as \u201cSoviet-style intimidation\u201d tactics reminiscent of George Orwell\u2019s\u00a01984<\/i>, Sears says most of his public interactions are positive and that the majority of negative attacks he receives are either online or over the phone. He plays a recording for me. \u201cHow dare you put this in my mailbox. It\u2019s disgusting,\u201d a woman\u2019s voice says. \u201cThey don\u2019t even say where they live so we can\u2019t put it in their mailbox anymore,\u201d he says, grinning slyly. Sears says Canada Post\u2019s prohibitory order is political, brought on by what he refers to as the \u201cZionist lobby\u201d of Canada. He also says the courts are afraid to rule on the case due to the precedent it would set regarding hate speech laws.<\/p>\nFrank Addario, whose legal office is representing Sears, says that it\u2019s only illegal to distribute hate propaganda or libelous claims and that\u00a0Your Ward News\u00a0<\/i>does neither. He says it\u2019s wrong that Canada Post can prevent someone from using tax-funded services without \u201c[putting] any corresponding obligation on itself to act swiftly after it takes away the citizen\u2019s right to use the postal service for purposes of free expression,\u201d Addario\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/politics\/your-ward-news-canada-post-sears-1.4008342\">told<\/a>\u00a0CBC when the initial review of the case was announced.<\/p>\nOn November 2, the committee put together by Foote\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theendofzion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Final-Draft-Decision-on-Preliminary-Issues-Nov.-2-2017-Formatted.pdf\">issued its decision<\/a>. It found that Foote had not given enough evidence of her reasons for issuing the prohibitory order against Sears. \u201cA mere recitation of the language used in the CPCA without explanation does not constitute \u2018reasons\u2019. \u00a0The repetition of the statutory requirements does not inform [Sears] or this Board of the reasons why a decision was made. The material relied upon by [Foote], the IPO, and the covering letter accompanying the IPO lack the analysis which is vital to enable [Sears] to appreciate why the IPO was issued and the case they have to address before the Board.\u201d As a result, the prohibitory order was overturned and Sears was once again able to use Canada Post. But as Sears would soon find, his legal battles were far from over.<\/p>\nLast October, the \u201cUnity Rally to End White Supremacy\u201d took place at Queen\u2019s Park in Toronto, a response to a planned (and subsequently cancelled) event by the Canadian Nationalist Party (CNP). Hundreds of protesters came out to speak against white supremacy \u2013 the belief that white people are innately meant to rule over other races. Speakers from Black Lives Matter, as well as the Marxist organizations Fightback and Socialist Action, spoke to the crowd from the steps of Queen\u2019s Park.<\/p>\nPHOTO ALBUM: UNITY RALLY TO END WHITE SUPREMACY<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"gallery-209-1-slideshow\" class=\"slideshow-window jetpack-slideshow slideshow-black\" data-trans=\"fade\" data-autostart=\"1\" data-gallery=\"[{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46171.jpg","id":"240","title":"IMG_4617","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4633.jpg","id":"266","title":"IMG_4633","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46141.jpg","id":"234","title":"IMG_4614","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46381.jpg","id":"271","title":"IMG_4638","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4623.jpg","id":"245","title":"IMG_4623","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4629.jpg","id":"262","title":"IMG_4629","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46401.jpg","id":"273","title":"IMG_4640","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4639.jpg","id":"249","title":"IMG_4639","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4635.jpg","id":"268","title":"IMG_4635","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4637.jpg","id":"270","title":"IMG_4637","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4634.jpg","id":"267","title":"IMG_4634","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4621.jpg","id":"241","title":"IMG_4621","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46081.jpg","id":"230","title":"IMG_4608","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46181.jpg","id":"242","title":"IMG_4618","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4617.jpg","id":"233","title":"IMG_4617","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4624.jpg","id":"254","title":"IMG_4624","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4636.jpg","id":"269","title":"IMG_4636","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46211.jpg","id":"248","title":"IMG_4621","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4625.jpg","id":"256","title":"IMG_4625","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4618.jpg","id":"235","title":"IMG_4618","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46441.jpg","id":"276","title":"IMG_4644","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4641.jpg","id":"253","title":"IMG_4641","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4640.jpg","id":"251","title":"IMG_4640","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4643.jpg","id":"255","title":"IMG_4643","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46451.jpg","id":"277","title":"IMG_4645","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46431.jpg","id":"275","title":"IMG_4643","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46161.jpg","id":"238","title":"IMG_4616","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4626.jpg","id":"258","title":"IMG_4626","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4628.jpg","id":"261","title":"IMG_4628","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_4627.jpg","id":"260","title":"IMG_4627","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/img_46391.jpg","id":"272","title":"IMG_4639","alt":"","caption":"","itemprop":"image"},{"src":"https:\\\/\\\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/im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class=\"slideshow-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-big\" title=\"IMG_4623\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_4623.jpg\" alt=\"\" align=\"middle\" \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"slideshow-slide-caption\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"slideshow-slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-big\" title=\"IMG_4629\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_4629.jpg\" alt=\"\" align=\"middle\" \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"slideshow-slide-caption\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"slideshow-controls\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\nJessica Cassell is a member of Fightback, a Marxist organization at Ryerson University. She says the rally is a response to the rise of far-right groups espousing hateful values in Canada. According to Cassell, free speech doesn\u2019t apply to white supremacist groups because they themselves are infringing on the rights of others. \u201cThese people don\u2019t care about free speech. They want to shut down whole sections of society, they want to exterminate them,\u201d she says. Cassell says Fightback is committed to \u201cmilitant mass organizing\u201d against racist ideas and groups.<\/p>\nBut according to Sue-Ann Levy, an investigative columnist for the Toronto Sun, it\u2019s often the right that is being attacked by the left. As I am preparing to interview her, a woman waving a Palestinian flag comes up to me. \u201cTo be clear, she is a fascist,\u201d she says, pointing at Levy. \u201cOh yeah, I\u2019m a fascist, don\u2019t you know?\u201d Levy says sarcastically, explaining to me afterwards that the woman knew who she was and had been following her around since she got to the rally. She describes herself as a \u201cright-wing lesbian journalist in a left-wing world.\u201d Levy \u00a0says that when she is called homophobic and points out that she herself is gay, she is told she\u2019s a \u201cself-loathing lesbian.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cI think what happens is the left has a free pass. They can say outrageous, inflammatory things but if you happen to respond and happen to be identified as someone who is right of centre \u2014 whether it\u2019s right of centre fiscally or whatever, you\u2019re considered hateful.\u201d<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-283\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n.jpg?w=1000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n.jpg 960w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n.jpg?w=150 150w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n.jpg?w=300 300w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n.jpg?w=768 768w\" alt=\"22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n\" data-attachment-id=\"283\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/14\/you-cant-say-that-the-state-of-free-speech-in-canada\/22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n.jpg?w=1000\" data-orig-size=\"960,640\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}\" data-image-title=\"22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n.jpg?w=1000?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22491861_523229714679174_5358972892013118670_n.jpg?w=1000?w=960\" \/><\/p>\n\u00a9 Joseph Cicerone<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-282\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n.jpg?w=1000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n.jpg 960w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n.jpg?w=150 150w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n.jpg?w=300 300w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n.jpg?w=768 768w\" alt=\"22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n\" data-attachment-id=\"282\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/14\/you-cant-say-that-the-state-of-free-speech-in-canada\/22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n.jpg?w=1000\" data-orig-size=\"960,640\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}\" data-image-title=\"22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n.jpg?w=1000?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22310397_523229871345825_1788047720195545946_n.jpg?w=1000?w=960\" \/><\/p>\n\u00a9 Joseph Cicerone<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-228 size-big\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_46071.jpg?w=1000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_46071.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_46071.jpg?w=2000 2000w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_46071.jpg?w=150 150w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_46071.jpg?w=300 300w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_46071.jpg?w=768 768w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_46071.jpg?w=1024 1024w\" alt=\"IMG_4607\" data-attachment-id=\"228\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/14\/you-cant-say-that-the-state-of-free-speech-in-canada\/img_4607-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_46071.jpg?w=1000\" data-orig-size=\"5184,3456\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"6.3","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS REBEL T5i","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1508073263","copyright":"","focal_length":"55","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.0125","title":"","orientation":"1"}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_4607\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_46071.jpg?w=1000?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/img_46071.jpg?w=1000?w=1000\" \/><\/p>\nBut according to Shannon McDeez, the organizer of the rally, free speech laws in Canada aren\u2019t doing enough to protect minorities.<\/p>\n\u201cOne of our organizers was the victim of a hate crime just a couple weeks back. A few people followed him to his home and told him to get out of our country,\u201d she said in an interview following the rally. \u201cWhen he spoke to the police, they were kind of wishy-washy about it. They were like, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s not really hate speech.\u2019\u2019\u201d McDeez says this indifference toward reports of hate crimes skews the relevant statistics and stops people from coming forward due to fear of not being taken seriously. \u201cThe police aren\u2019t doing enough. I think that these people need to be treated like the terrorists they are and I think that broadening the legislation surrounding hate speech and hate crimes is \u2026 the only thing that can actively address that problem.\u201d<\/p>\nThen, almost like clockwork, an anti-immigration rally organized by the Proud Boys was scheduled for Oct. 21, at Nathan Phillips Square. The left\u2019s response? A pro-immigration counter protest. Same day. Same place. Same time. Both rallies take place as expected, with the counter protesters slightly outnumbering the original protest. The police put up a barricade between the two, but aside from that they basically let them have at each other. They both had the right to be there and protest, after all.<\/p>\nI arrive early and find a few of the anti-immigration protesters standing in a circle. I want to talk to them about why they came out. It was an odd mix of individuals \u2014 six men and one woman, four of which appeared to be above 40 and three who were well below 30. All white. Though a few would not speak to me (I heard them muttering something about \u201cfake news\u201d as I mentioned my occupation), the consensus amongst them was that Trudeau\u2019s immigration policies are altering the racial demographics of Canada in a way that they saw as bad.<\/p>\n\u201cBad for who?\u201d<\/p>\nThey tell me it\u2019s bad for white Canadians. \u201cYou don\u2019t see any non-white first world country getting forced to take in these immigrants? Why is that? Because anti-immigration is code for anti-white,\u201d said one of the younger men, who identified himself as Jay and would not give his last name for fear of punishment at work. \u201cThey want us dead.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cWho\u2019s they?\u201d<\/p>\nHe starts going off about globalists and the top one per cent, trailing off into a massive conspiracy about the human race becoming enslaved by a one-world government. But he also makes rational points too. He says that hate speech is free speech and that you don\u2019t create a free society by limiting or restricting what people can say, giving examples like China under Mao and North Korea. \u201cWe debate things in Western society \u2026 If you don\u2019t like what I\u2019m saying, let\u2019s have an actual fucking conversation about it.\u201d<\/p>\nI head over to a small group of pro-immigration counter protesters hanging out on the other side of the square. I wanted to get their thoughts on free speech. Two of them are dressed in all black and wearing dark bandanas over their mouths and touques on their heads. These guys seemed prepared. As I approach, one of them makes eye contact with me and turns to the others to say something. They turn and stare. I get closer and wave, beginning to try and tell them what I\u2019m trying to do. They quickly cut me off and one tells me that they saw me talking with \u201cthe neo-Nazis\u201d and that they won\u2019t talk to someone who sympathizes with Nazis. I try to explain that I want to hear both sides, but they use some not-so-elegant words that make very clear their position. So much for an open dialogue.<\/p>\nMaybe that\u2019s what free speech really means. Using language to shame people that do things or associate with people you don\u2019t like. Or is it using that same language to speak out against the aforementioned shamers? The problem with obscure terms like free speech is that, even if the law surrounding it was clear-cut (spoiler alert: it\u2019s not), very few people actually understand the laws surrounding free speech in Canada. It means something slightly different to everyone. Which is why it\u2019s so hard to debate. Arguing over a topic two people who know each other both understand well is one thing. But arguing with a person you\u2019ve just met over a term you have completely different definitions for? That\u2019s when you get meaningless rhetoric and ad hominem attacks, from both sides.<\/p>\nBut it\u2019s almost like that\u2019s what these groups wanted. These rallies seemed like a thinly-veiled excuse for giant arguments with a chance of bloodshed. Neither groups had any real booths or information desks. There was no real message on either side. It was always just \u201cWe\u2019re right. The other guys are wrong.\u201d The police had been there since I arrived, but as more protesters started to show up on both sides, they put up a barricade and started to usher people onto either side based on what protest they were with. More and more protesters begin to arrive and around 2 p.m., well over 200 are in the square.<\/p>\n\u201cNo hate, no fear. Nazis are not welcome here,\u201d the counter protestors chant.<\/p>\n\u201cCommies, go home, you have low testosterone,\u201d the protesters respond.<\/p>\n\u201cGod, why are they all so fucking disgusting?\u201d one girl there with the anti-immigration protesters says about the counterprotest. \u201cYou guys are terrorists \u2014 you\u2019re literally terrorists,\u201d a counter protester shouts back. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with not liking Trudeau, huh? We don\u2019t want a dictator, that\u2019s it. What\u2019s the fucking problem?\u201d another protester responds. Amongst all the violence and anger, It seemed like the only real thing keeping the fabric of free speech alive was a slightly thicker layer of body armour. Lots of talking, but no listening.<\/p>\nAccording to Anjelika Oulanova, a police officer cleaning up after the event told her that he understood why she came. \u201cHe told me that I was there to defend my freedom that the violent kids didn\u2019t understand what they were doing,\u201d she said, referencing the counter protesters. Oulanova says she feels the media has a bias towards the left, pointing out that there was lots of Communist and Marxist imagery on their side but that aspect of many rallies and counter protests often goes unreported. \u201cThat Communist symbol represents an ideology which resulted in the systematic murder and starvation of 100 million people in the 20th century. Do the organizers of this march endorse Communism, yes or no?\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=523229668012512&set=pcb.1967438276845373&type=3&theater\">reads one comment<\/a>\u00a0on a photo containing a flag with the hammer and sickle logo posted to the event\u2019s Facebook page.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-281\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n.jpg?w=1000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n.jpg 960w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n.jpg?w=150 150w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n.jpg?w=300 300w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n.jpg?w=768 768w\" alt=\"22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n\" data-attachment-id=\"281\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/14\/you-cant-say-that-the-state-of-free-speech-in-canada\/22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n.jpg?w=1000\" data-orig-size=\"960,640\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}\" data-image-title=\"22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n.jpg?w=1000?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/22448290_523229668012512_3034401734502691341_n.jpg?w=1000?w=960\" \/><\/p>\n\u00a9 Joseph Cicerone<\/p>\nABOVE: Many left-wing protesters displayed signs containing Communist imagery, most notably the hammer and sickle first used in the Russian revolution as well as throughout the Soviet Union.<\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s not clear how many white supremacist groups there are in Canada, mostly because of the overlap between white supremacy and white nationalism \u2013 the idea that all races are equal, but that whites have a specific claim to North America and Europe, and the right to remain a majority in those areas. Groups like the Proud Boys. People like Sears. There are about 100 white nationalist groups in Canada, according to Barbara Perry, a University of Ontario Institute of Technology professor who studies hate crimes.<\/p>\nPaul Fromm is one such white nationalist. He also leads the Canadian Association for Free Expression (CAFE), an organization committed to promoting and defending \u201ctotal freedom of speech\u201d in Canada. Fromm says he can\u2019t think of a time in Canada\u2019s history where it\u2019s been more important to fight for free speech. \u201cIt\u2019s under attack on campuses it\u2019s under attack, particularly from government institutions and from big businesses, who will fire a person at the drop of the hat for the nonviolent expression of their beliefs on their own time. It\u2019s a bad time to be anything other than a [liberal] in this country,\u201d he says, referencing a construction worker who was fired from his job in August for\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/hamilton\/confederate-flag-firing-1.4257178\">bringing a Confederate flag to his work site<\/a>.<\/p>\nMcDeez acknowledged that defining the line between free and hate speech is \u00a0tough, but that it\u2019s not as clear cut as whether someone is assaulted or slandered. \u201cIs spray-painting something on a garage door breaking bones? No, it\u2019s not, but it\u2019s actively destroying lives. There\u2019s been scientifically proven effects on mental health, which resonates into heart health. So hate speech and racism is killing people.\u201d<\/p>\nSEE: UNITY RALLY TO END WHITE SUPREMACY<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wolRVYcS2j0?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"560\" data-height=\"315\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\nSo what\u2019s the solution to extremist groups that want publicly? Well that\u2019s the million-dollar question.<\/p>\nFor James Pasternak, the solution is to block hateful groups from gathering in public spaces, such as city halls, parks and libraries. Last September, the city councillor for Ward 10 launched an administrative inquiry, asking the city if there are options available for the city to prevent \u201chate-sponsored rallies\u201d from\u00a0taking place on city or provincial property. Speaking to the Ryersonian, he said that these limitations are long overdue. \u201cThese groups can do their little hate-fests in restaurants or on private property. I don\u2019t think the city has any obligation to provide them space and resources \u2026 because they\u2019re out for a stroll of hate.\u201d In the initial answer to the inquiry, the city delayed its response until November. Pasternak says he understands why, as the response will deal with different legal elements \u2013 from Supreme Court rulings to Canada\u2019s Criminal Code \u2013 and the very issue of free speech itself.<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-284\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/20110211-pasternak.jpg?w=1000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/20110211-pasternak.jpg 590w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/20110211-pasternak.jpg?w=150 150w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/20110211-pasternak.jpg?w=300 300w\" alt=\"20110211-pasternak\" data-attachment-id=\"284\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/14\/you-cant-say-that-the-state-of-free-speech-in-canada\/20110211-pasternak\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/20110211-pasternak.jpg?w=1000\" data-orig-size=\"590,395\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}\" data-image-title=\"20110211-pasternak\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/20110211-pasternak.jpg?w=1000?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/20110211-pasternak.jpg?w=1000?w=590\" \/><\/p>\n\u00a9\u00a0Tomasz Bugajski<\/p>\nRegarding what to do about individuals such as the one wearing a T-shirt with Nazi symbols at the Peterborough, Ont., rally, Pasternak said he wants such questions answered through the inquiry. \u201cFor an individual to adhere to those ideologies is nothing short of despicable. Can we go and arrest him or bring him in for questioning? That\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to find out through this inquiry \u2014 what kind of reach we have as a municipal government to stop this.\u201d<\/p>\nOn Nov. 2, the city issued a response to Pasternak\u2019s inquiry. It acknowledged that the city did not condone rallies that harass or discriminate against groups or individuals and that in order to obtain a permit on city property must sign a anti-harassment and discrimination contract, which includes adhering to the Human Rights Code. But it also pointed out logistical challenges in preventing protests from occurring on city property. \u201cSometimes there are rallies and protests that appear on Nathan Phillips Square and other City property without staff knowledge or without the issuance of a permit. The public has the right to assemble on City squares and to express their views. If activities occur at a rally on a city square that jeopardize public safety or if the rally incites hatred or violence against a group, these actions will not be tolerated.\u201d<\/p>\nThe letter ends by acknowledging that provincial rules regarding public property supercede any decisions made by the city regarding public property. Consequently, any rules on restricting protests would need to be made by Ontario, not the City of Toronto.<\/p>\nHowever in some cases, people already have been arrested. On Nov. 10, \u00a0police charged Sears and LeRoy St. Germaine, the publisher of\u00a0Your Ward News<\/i>, with \u201cthe willful promotion of hatred against women and Jews\u201d. That first charge against women has never been laid before in Canada\u2019s history. The charges cited\u00a0Your Ward News<\/i>\u00a0issues, going back over three years, as the offending material. To Turk, the charges come at a suspicious time. They were laid just eight days after the board put together by Canada Post ruled in Sears\u2019s favour. \u201cIt\u2019s really odd it happened one week later, especially after three years of investigations that never found there was a basis to do this.\u201d Turk says that there is no doubt in his mind that this will be the next major Supreme Court case on free speech in Canada.<\/p>\nAccording to Ontario\u2019s Attorney General Yasir Naqvi, the seriousness of charging someone under hate speech laws was why prosecution took so long to bring charges against Sears. \u201cHate crimes are, by their very nature, serious offences because their impacts can be devastating, spreading from the individual through the social fabric of our communities as a whole,\u201d Naqvi said in a statement after the charges were announced. \u201cIn a multicultural and inclusive province like Ontario, the promotion of hatred stands in direct opposition to our fundamental values of equality and diversity.\u201d<\/p>\nTo Sears, the charges coming just over a week after the Canada Post decision was nothing short of a political hit job. \u201cIt\u2019s so brazen. It\u2019s like a banana republic. For them to think they can get away with those optics\u2026 it\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d Sears says he believes that the hate speech charges stem from the Liberal establishment, angry over the fact that the review board\u2019s decision once again allowed Sears to use Canada Post and distribute\u00a0Your Ward News<\/i>.<\/p>\nBut even now, facing years of legal battles and hundreds of thousands in legal bills, Sears\u2019s optimistic nature shines through. He says that when he turned himself in on Nov. 15, the few hours he got to spend in a cell were like a mini-vacation. \u201cIt was the first peace and quiet I\u2019ve had in months \u2026 and I was lying there, I said to myself \u00a0\u2018Fuck, a month in the slammer, it would actually be like a vacation.\u2019\u201d He says he sees no real possibility of being convicted by a jury because\u00a0Your Ward News<\/i>\u00a0is satirical and any comments he makes about identifiable groups are, according to him, legal under either parody law or fair comment. Additionally, Sears says he is the first person to be charged with a hate crime that isn\u2019t actually hateful.<\/p>\n\u201cAll the other people who get charged, whether its someone talking about Jews or a person talking about homosexuals or Muslims, they\u2019re angry. Like [Kevin Johnson]. He hates Muslims. These are hateful people. I\u2019m a guy who isn\u2019t even hateful. But it\u2019s sort of a misnomer when you get charged with hate speech but you got no hate.\u201d Johnson is the Mississauga, Ont., man charged with a hate crime for\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/toronto\/kevin-johnston-hate-crime-1.4219185\">offering a $1,000 reward<\/a>\u00a0for recordings of Muslim students \u201cspewing hate speech during Friday prayers.\u201d<\/p>\nSears has said on multiple occasions he does not hate any identifiable groups and simply wants Muslims and Jews to \u201cfind Jesus\u201d. Although a final decision would be up to a jury and\/or a higher court of appeal, this argument has legal precedence. Section 296 of Canada\u2019s Criminal Code says that blasphemous libel is not a convictable offence provided that a person is \u201cexpressing in good faith and in decent language, or attempting to establish by argument used in good faith and conveyed in decent language, an opinion on a religious subject.\u201d<\/p>\nTo Fromm, the paper is top-notch satire. He says that it\u2019s controversial and outspoken nature makes it one of the most exciting and interesting publications in Canada in a long time. He also says that the charges against Sears are a test of how far free speech can go in Canada. Turk agrees, adding the ironic point that most of the people he shows\u00a0Your Ward News\u00a0<\/i>to think it\u2019s a joke making fun of traditional right-wing news outlets.<\/p>\nTurk is in the unique position of supporting Sears\u2019s legal right to speak his views despite personally finding them offensive. To him, advocacy of violence is the line that separates free speech from hate speech. In the case of Sears, he says that shutting down controversial speech will not address the underlying systemic issues in society which cause these very ideas in the first place. Turk believes we will not get rid of discriminatory speech until we fix the mechanisms in society that cause people to espouse these views.<\/p>\n\u201cThe problem is not the expression of those ideas, the problem is the holding of those ideas \u2026 and so the notion the way we bring this to a halt is by criminalizing their expression is wrong.\u201d As an example, Turk points to more restrictive speech laws in Europe that have failed to reduce rates of discrimination towards ethnic and religious minorities. According to Turk, the amount of speech you\u2019d have to make illegal to fully remove hateful ideas from the English language is so large that the task is impractical. Additionally, he says that it\u2019s often microaggressions, and not actual hate speech, that minorities experience most.<\/p>\n\u201cIf you\u2019re going to end the kind of experience that marginalized people face you\u2019d have to make illegal not only the use of the N-word and vicious epithets but you\u2019d also have to restrict a whole range of other kinds of things that are demeaning, unpleasant, and the problem there is they\u2019re so common that you\u2019d suddenly give the police the right to arrest almost anybody.\u201d Turk gives the example of someone criticizing the Liberal governments choice to create a gender-balanced cabinet and saying job postings should be based on ability. \u201cIs that promoting hatred against women?\u201d<\/p>\nSo what does Turk this is the best way to speak against Sears? \u201cI would rather [he] be seen for what he is. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any mistaking what he is when you talk to him,\u201d he says. As CFE\u2019s Director, Turk is a strong supporter of counterspeech. He believes that just like Sears should be able to say what he wants, another person should be able to verbally shame him for his views, or tell him he is wrong. Turk also points out that this use of free speech was precisely what people like Martin Luther King (who, ironically enough, was once arrested for violating hate speech laws) and other civil rights activists used to challenge racism in the courts prior to the Civil Rights Act.<\/p>\nBut Turk also says that not all people claiming to support free speech truly believe in it. \u201cOne of the ironies is\u2026 people like Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos are portraying themselves as the defenders of free speech. I have no doubt that, were they in power, they\u2019d be the first to suppress free speech.\u201d He also gives the example of Andrew Scheer, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, proposing that universities that suppress free speech should be fined despite condemning universities that took part in \u201cIsraeli apartheid week\u201d just months before. \u201cThese folks are embracing the defense of free speech as part of their attack on Liberals and liberalism. They\u2019re not committed to free speech.\u201d Turk also points out that it has historically been the right who has attempted to suppress free speech on university campuses, such as in the era of McCarthyism.<\/p>\nWhen Sears first spoke to me about the charges, he said he was excited. He said he views them as an opportunity to get the hate speech laws removed under what is known as a constitutional challenge, essentially arguing that the laws as they exist are unconstitutional. But Turk says he believes that Sears has another motivation for his excitement: fame. Turk believes that Sears sees this trial as a chance to be thrust into the public eye and put on the radar of more like-minded individuals who otherwise would never know he existed. It\u2019s certainly happened before. Ernst Zundel was a holocaust denier who ran a paper in the basement of his Toronto home. According to Turk, when Zundel was charged under Canada\u2019s Criminal Code in 1984, he went from having a small, obscure group of supporters to being thrust into the public spotlight. \u201cIn some cases, i think it\u2019s best we just ignore them. So that\u2019s probably why Sears is delighted he\u2019s been charged. Not only does he see it as a chance to challenge Criminal Code provisions on hate speech, but also its gonna make [him] a national figure.\u201d<\/p>\nMuch like Turk\u2019s CFE, Fromm is part of CAFE, an organization that focuses on protecting freedom of speech in Canada. However their similarities end there. Fromm says that freedom of speech in Canada is less about what you\u2019re saying and more about what an individual you\u2019re talking to doesn\u2019t like. \u201cIf speech is criticizing the behavior of blacks, it\u2019s hate speech. If you don\u2019t want to use a pronoun that nobody ever heard of two years ago, xe or xer, for someone who is sexually messed up, well then that\u2019s hate speech.\u201d Fromm says he has seen Canada progress to a point where people only pay lip service to freedom of speech and where the statement \u201cI believe in free speech\u201d is almost always followed by a \u201cbut\u201d.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-285\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/paul-fromm.jpg?w=1000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/paul-fromm.jpg 834w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/paul-fromm.jpg?w=150 150w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/paul-fromm.jpg?w=300 300w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/paul-fromm.jpg?w=768 768w\" alt=\"paul-fromm\" data-attachment-id=\"285\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/14\/you-cant-say-that-the-state-of-free-speech-in-canada\/paul-fromm\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/paul-fromm.jpg?w=1000\" data-orig-size=\"834,417\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}\" data-image-title=\"paul-fromm\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/paul-fromm.jpg?w=1000?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/paul-fromm.jpg?w=1000?w=834\" \/> \n\u00a9\u00a0Andrew Hitchcock<\/p>\nOften labeled as a neo-Nazi by his opponents, Fromm says these claims are false. According to him, since Hitler\u2019s National Socialists never used the word \u201cNazi\u201d to refer to themselves, the term \u201cneo-Nazi\u201d makes no sense. \u201cIt\u2019s an invention that suggests usually a skinhead that goes around beating up people, it\u2019s associated with violence and bullying and I have nothing to do that \u2026 it\u2019s actually our opponents who practice violence, the ANTIFA who try to physically attack people,\u201d he says.<\/p>\nFromm says that, despite his opponents claims, he is not a racist. He says his advocacy against immigration and pro-Israel lobbying is completely legal under free speech and fair comment. \u201cI want North America for the European founding settling people. Do I dislike people from other backgrounds? Yes, some of them. Others, no.\u201d He says that the issue is not a matter of individuals, but rather shifting racial demographics. \u201cWe are being replaced. By 2050, people that look like [white European males] will be a minority in the country our ancestors built. That\u2019s wrong. We have to reverse this \u2026 It\u2019s not about hating people from other backgrounds.\u201d Fromm says. \u201cIf you ask any other people on the face of this Earth if they want to be replaced they\u2019d say \u2018hell no\u2019 and that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.\u201d<\/p>\nFromm may disagree with his enemies on the left, but he does not underestimate them. He says that one thing they\u2019ve been extremely good at is the weaponization of words. \u201c[Saying things] like \u2018You\u2019re a racist, so I must not associate with you\u2019 or \u2018You\u2019re a neo-Nazi\u2019, it doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s true or not, they use it to divide us.\u201d According to Fromm, the fact that Trump was labelled as almost every negative buzzword in the political dictionary and still won shows that this tactic is weakening. \u201cWhat it meant was a whole lot of people said \u2018Well I don\u2019t care if you call him a racist or a white supremacist or whatever, I understand him and he\u2019s for me.\u2019 They\u2019re terrified of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>*\u00a0*\u00a0*<\/h2>\n<h2>THE TRIGGERING OF THE CAMPUS LIBERAL<\/i><\/h2>\n <\/p>\nIf there\u2019s a war being waged on free speech, the main battlefield is undoubtedly the university campus. Since the lead up to the 2016 presidential election there has been a growing trend of campuses shutting down controversial speakers, not just in Canada but across North America. From Jordan Peterson to Ezra Levant to Richard Spencer, numerous controversial figures have been prevented from giving scheduled lectures or speeches, usually by left-wing groups like ANTIFA, short for anti-Fascist. There\u2019s a growing divide between people who think that controversial figures should be able to speak and ones who think that spreading controversial or hateful views in public should be something we put certain restrictions on.<\/p>\nIn November, Jordan Peterson and a number of other speakers hosted an event titled \u201cThe Stifling of Free Speech on University Campuses\u201d at the Canada Christian College. The irony of this event was that the original venue \u2014 Ryerson University \u2014 cancelled due to \u201csafety concerns\u201d in August. \u00a0\u201cAfter a thorough security review, the University has concluded that Ryerson is not equipped to provide the necessary level of public safety for the event to go forward, particularly given the recent events in Charlottesville, Va., For that reason, we have told the organizers that Ryerson will no longer provide a room for their event,\u201d read Ryerson\u2019s statement.<\/p>\nWhen Turk heard what happened, he said he was appalled. He wrote a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfe.ryerson.ca\/blog\/2017\/08\/ryerson-made-mistake-cancelling-panel-discussion\">blog post<\/a>\u00a0on CFE\u2019s website criticizing the decision.<\/p>\n\u201cIn cancelling the event, Ryerson gave in to intimidation, prevented a panel discussion of difficult ideas and disagreement over deeply held views, and denied free speech rights to those with opposing views. The defence that it had to protect public safety is not acceptable. Just as paying ransom to kidnappers or pirates encourages more kidnapping and piracy, shutting down free speech in the face of threats of disruption only encourages more such threats in future as the way to deal with ideas one does not like.\u201d The post also points out that Ryerson\u2019s decision was in direct contradiction of their stated policy on freedom of speech, which states that: \u201cRyerson does not avoid controversies, difficult ideas, or disagreements over deeply held views \u2026 The right to freedom of speech comes with the responsibility to exercise that right in an atmosphere free of intimidation and in an environment that supports the free speech rights of those with opposing views.\u201d<\/p>\nTurk says that when he spoke to Ryerson\u2019s president, Mohamed Lachemi, he was told that the decision was made after consulting with Toronto police. Apparently, because speakers like Faith Goldy and Peterson are so controversial, Ryerson was told they would need security to a degree that was \u201cprohibitively expensive\u201d. \u201cAnd I said, \u2018Well that\u2019s dangerous precedent that you\u2019re setting, because the appearance of disruption was the result of a Facebook page \u2026 who knows if that was someone sitting in their basement in Edmonton or whether it reflects [local public opinion].\u2019\u201d<\/p>\nIt seems free speech is not safe on university campuses anymore if you or the ideas you represent are \u201cunsafe\u201d. But this brings up a lot of questions. Is this the new normal? Do we just cower and give in to demands at the slightest chance of violence? Are vague threats of violence all someone needs to do to get an event cancelled? And if so, is this very technique being used against people like Peterson antithetical to one of the main reasons that free speech was created \u2014 to speak out against those you disagree with?<\/p>\nAlmost three months later, on a frosty Remembrance Day, around 1,500 attended the second attempt at the event. Walking towards the building, I saw at least four parking lots within a one-kilometre area of the college that had police cars set up, officers inside. Not doing speed traps, not on a break but alert and ready. After I see the third parking lot I finally realize. They\u2019re there for the protestors.<\/p>\nSo that\u2019s it, then? Free speech has to be protected under threat of arrest? I slump along the final stretch to the college, greeted by four more police cruisers as I reach the front door. It\u2019s sad to think that free speech can\u2019t proceed in 2017 without an immense police presence.<\/p>\nPeterson began the talk by acknowledging Ryerson\u2019s cancellation of the previous event. He points out that, while the speakers were only going to be talking to around 300 people, they now were speaking to around 1,500. Despite the increase in numbers, Peterson says it\u2019s a sad testimony to the state of free speech that a panel on that very topic had to be relocated because of censorship. Peterson also spoke about an incident at Wilfrid Laurier University where teaching assistant Lindsay Shepherd was criticized at length for showing a video of a debate on gender-neutral pronouns featuring Peterson. The video in question was shown for a tutorial on grammar Shepherd was teaching. At least one student in the class complained, leading to a meeting between Shepherd and three of her superiors where she was told, amongst other things, that playing a speech by Peterson without denouncing his views beforehand was like \u201cneutrally playing a speech by Hitler\u201d.<\/p>\n\u201cWe\u2019re in the upside-down,\u201d Peterson said, referring to what he sees as a system that automatically supports any opinion that is left-of-centre, even if it is not based on empirical evidence.<\/p>\nSEE: PETERSON\u2019S FULL SPEECH \u201cTHE STIFLING OF FREE SPEECH ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ScSt8A-QjL8?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"560\" data-height=\"315\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\nBut the most ironic aspect of this whole story? Shepherd says she doesn\u2019t even agree with Peterson\u2019s views on gender-neutral pronouns. In an interview with the Ryersonian, she says that there exists a culture in universities where people are critiqued and discredited if they have views which challenge what she describes as the authoritarian left\u2019s narrative. Similarly to Sears description of Soviet-style intimidation, Shepherd acknowledges there is an atmosphere in universities where more moderate Liberals like herself feel the need to \u201cself-censor\u201d ideas for fear of being labelled discriminatory or racist. \u201cYou just refrain from saying anything that might upset the authoritarian leftists because you don\u2019t want to be considered one of these labels that they\u2019re going to try to insist you are.\u201d<\/p>\nShepherd secretly recorded her meeting with her superiors. This is legal, as Ontario is a one-party consent province, meaning only one person has to consent to recording a conversation for it to be legal, as opposed to places like California, where you are legally obligated to ask someone for permission if you would like to record them. Shepherd says that, when she received the message that there were concerns over content in her tutorials and that her superiors had set up a meeting, she recorded it to protect herself, as she anticipated things could potentially get \u201cout of hand\u201d. After she made the recording, Shepherd was unsure of the legality of it and it was not until a reporter told her it was OK for her to release it that she did so. For all their differences, Sears, Turk and Fromm all agree that making the recording was the right decision. \u201cWhen you hear [it], what the original story said and what she\u2019s claimed all along was exactly true. And that\u2019s appalling,\u201d says Turk. \u201cThe fact that she taped that interview, they were so embarrassed,\u201d says Fromm.<\/p>\nSEE: FULL INTERVIEW WITH LINDSAY SHEPHERD<\/strong><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F383280962&color=%23ff5500&%3Bauto_play=false&%3Bhide_related=false&%3Bshow_comments=true&%3Bshow_user=true&%3Bshow_reposts=false&%3Bshow_teaser=true&%3Bvisual=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\nAfter the release of the recording, the school issued\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlu.ca\/news\/spotlights\/2017\/nov\/open-letter-to-my-ta-lindsay-shepherd.html\">the following statement<\/a>\u00a0titled \u201cOpen letter from Nathan Rambukkana to Lindsay Shepherd\u201d. In it, Rambukkana admitted he could have done more to support her in the meeting. \u201cI didn\u2019t do enough \u2026 which I deeply regret. I should have seen how meeting with a panel of three people would be an intimidating situation and not invite a productive discussion.\u201d He also said that using the analogy of Peterson\u2019s speeches being comparable to Hitler\u2019s was \u201ca poorly chosen [sic] example\u201d and that \u201cthe tired analogy does [Peterson] a disservice and was the opposite of useful in our discussion\u201d. Interestingly enough, freedom of speech was not mentioned once in the letter. The closest Rambukkana comes is when he says that \u201cmaking a space for controversial or oppositional views is important, and even essential to a university,\u201d but even this is directly followed by Rambukkana cautioning that material must still be \u201cproperly [contextualized]\u201d. Turk was not impressed. \u201cIt\u2019s a terrible apology. Neither the president of the university or the faculty member who did it properly apologized.\u201d<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-286 size-big\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768.jpg?w=1000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768.jpg?w=150 150w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768.jpg?w=300 300w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768.jpg?w=768 768w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768.jpg 1086w\" alt=\"lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768\" data-attachment-id=\"286\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/14\/you-cant-say-that-the-state-of-free-speech-in-canada\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768.jpg?w=1000\" data-orig-size=\"1086,768\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}\" data-image-title=\"lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086\u00d7768\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768.jpg?w=1000?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/lindsay_shepherd-size-custom-crop-1086x768.jpg?w=1000?w=1000\" \/><\/p>\n\u00a9 David Bebee<\/p>\nShepherd says that universities have moved away from being institutes where debates and discourse surrounding controversial topics are welcomed and students are encouraged to challenge their own views and biases. Instead, she says that schools will try and censor controversial opinions, something she says will not bode well for students once they enter the workplace. \u201cYou can\u2019t pretend that there aren\u2019t people who hold these views, what kind of help does that do to those students, to pretend as if there is some country-wide consensus that everyone believes in [using gender neutral pronouns]? It\u2019s not true.\u201d<\/p>\nShepherd says she has always self-censored and used to think that she was just in the minority with regards to being left-wing but not holding far-left views. But she says this experience has been a wake-up call, showing her there are many more like her, who might tow the line in class but secretly disagree with what they\u2019re pretending to believe. She says that this culture of saying one thing but believing another is anathema to post-secondary education. \u201cYou\u2019re not allowing people to have their own thought processes \u2026 you can\u2019t call yourself a university if you\u2019re going to do that, you\u2019re now like an institute for authoritarian leftism.\u201d Despite identifying as a progressive liberal, Shepherd says she has been called alt-right because of her views on free speech and defense of her decision to play the video of Peterson. \u201cIt\u2019s like, I vote Green and I\u2019m a vegetarian and you\u2019re saying I\u2019m alt-right? You\u2019re insane.\u201d<\/p>\nBut who exactly are these \u201cauthoritarian leftists\u201d? In recent years, groups claiming to be \u201canti-fascist\u201d or otherwise opposed to right-wing, authoritative views have exploded in popularity, much thanks to the election of Trump and the rise of ethnic nationalism across North America. One such group is ANTIFA, short for anti-fascist. The Ryersonian reached out to Toronto\u2019s local ANTIFA chapter as well as their Canadian chapter, but neither responded to multiple requests for comment. Regarding claims that right-wing protestors have initiated violence, Fromm says it\u2019s actually ANTIFA doing the fighting in most cases.<\/p>\nTo Turk, ANTIFA is very hard to categorize because it\u2019s made up of such a wide number of individuals, from hardcore Communists to moderate Liberals that are unhappy with people like Trump. He points out that ANTIFA has actually opposed Pasternak\u2019s proposal to ban hate groups from assembling on public property. \u201cThey were saying, \u2018Look, we bitterly oppose these guys [but] they can do what they want to do, we\u2019re gonna be out there showing them why they\u2019re wrong and denouncing them.\u201d According to Turk, ANTIFA is smart enough to realize that if you give city council the right to say who can and can\u2019t use a public space, then that power can be used against far-left groups just as easily as it can be used against far-right groups.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s not just left-wing groups that have grown in popularity though. Fromm says he\u2019s encouraged by a younger generation getting involved in rallies and right-wing politics and that the amount of pro-nationalist rallies in Canada has increased greatly over the past 18 months. He gives the example of the five counter protesters who disrupted the protest against the Edward Cornwallis statue in Halifax. Cornwallis has been alleged to have been involved in the genocide of Mi\u2019kmaq indigenous people and the protest was meant to gain support for removing the statue, however the five counter protesters, who identified themselves as part of the far-right \u201cProud Boys\u201d group said they believed that the protest was meant to normalize the removal of Western symbols, much like the debate over removing Confederate statues in America.<\/p>\nFromm says this very act of defiance is huge in the context of a rising nationalist tide. \u201cA year ago the Proud Boys would not have been out there in Halifax. They probably would not have had the stones to do it. Because they\u2019d be afraid of being called names. Now people are just a little less afraid.\u201d<\/p>\nAs part of his bail conditions, Sears was ordered to take down all the archived versions of\u00a0Your Ward News<\/i>\u00a0online. He also had the choice to appeal this decision at the bail hearing, which he did. On Dec. 13, a judge ruled that past issues of the newspaper could stay up online and Sears could continue to distribute old editions publicly.<\/p>\nSears\u2019s first court date fell on the frigid afternoon of Dec. 21 at the College Park Courthouse. The day before he sends me the following text. \u201cI\u2019ll have copies of the next edition of the paper. It\u2019s very offensive.\u201d As I made my way through the metal detectors and into the stuffy, cramped hallway I saw Sears. He was surrounded by colleagues and, sure enough, carrying a crisp stack of\u00a0Your Ward News<\/i>\u00a0under his arm. A woman walked in front of me to give him a hug and wish him good luck. He thanked her and handed her one of the papers. This continues a few more times and before long a small group of us has amassed around Sears, who jokes about how he has an actual entourage accompanying him to court.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-287 size-big\" src=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74.jpg?w=1000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74.jpg?w=150 150w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74.jpg?w=300 300w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74.jpg?w=768 768w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74.jpg 1200w\" alt=\"canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74\" data-attachment-id=\"287\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/14\/you-cant-say-that-the-state-of-free-speech-in-canada\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74.jpg?w=1000\" data-orig-size=\"1200,800\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}\" data-image-title=\"canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74.jpg?w=1000?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/trevorhewitt.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/01\/canl3vkjdfcbta3uftn4jq7j74.jpg?w=1000?w=1000\" \/><\/p>\n\u00a9 Chris Young<\/p>\nCourt begins, with a dozen or so cases coming up in the docket before Sears\u2019s is called and him and St. Germaine walk up to the front. There was initially some confusion about the charge, as Sears is currently going through court proceedings for another charge, uttering threats, against Warren and Lisa Kinsella. The Kinsellas also happen to be named as victims in the hate speech charges, which led to confusion for the Crown and the Justice of the Peace continuing with other cases on the docket as the Crown determined what the issue was (both Warren and Lisa Kinsella did not respond to multiple requests for comment). When the case continued, about 20 minutes later, they clarified the mix-up. Sears then told the Justice of the Peace he wanted to set a pre-trial date, something he had already requested twice since the initial charges. But the Crown said they were not able to set one yet. Sears was clearly annoyed. He asked the Justice of the Peace how long he would have to wait (he previously mentioned he wants court proceedings to go as quickly as possible) to set a pre-trial date. The Crown said they could possibly set one by the end of the day (at this point, it was around 2:30 p.m.). But it was also possible that they would not be able to, and Sears would have to wait around at the courthouse, potentially for nothing. In the end, they set a second trial date for Jan. 4. It seemed as though, after an afternoon of pressing starchy shirts and waiting around, neither the Crown nor Sears had much to show for the effort. Afterwards, \nSears was frustrated that the Crown was taking so long to set a pre-trial date. He says the Liberal government is terrified of putting him in a witness stand, for fear of the politically incorrect things he would say.<\/p>\nOn the way home, Sears has moved on from his frustration with the court and is now talking about one of the Crown attorneys. He talks about how physically attractive he found her and how, according to him, attorneys are often among the most sexually-repressed individuals (along with, according to him, real estate agents and anyone involved with early childcare). He jokes about how the \u201cbroad definitely wanted it\u201d. It\u2019s a complete 180 from the man who, just minutes before, was furious with a Crown he felt was stalling. But at the same time, it was what I had come to expect of Sears, angry but not frightened, upset but never demoralized.<\/p>\nAs I sit in the back of his black Buick, listening to Sears talk about the alleged sexual idiosyncrasies of females in the legal industry, I sit and wonder to myself if I\u2019m listening to a conversation that, one day, might be illegal. I wonder if one day the numerous copies of\u00a0Your Ward News<\/i>\u00a0that Sears has given to me will be considered hate literature, comparable to\u00a0Mein Kampf<\/i>\u00a0in the eyes of the law. And lastly, I wonder to myself if, one day, we\u2019ll wake up in a Canada where people with opinions deemed \u201cunsafe\u201d, \u201chateful\u201d or \u201cintolerant\u201d will be locked up in a cell.<\/p>\nOnly time will tell.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Interesting Study of White Nationalist Movement in Canada YOU CAN\u2019T SAY THAT: THE STATE OF FREE SPEECH IN\u00a0CANADA Posted on\u00a0January 14, 2018\u00a0by\u00a0Trevor Hewitt by TREVOR HEWITT Ballistic safety goggles: $17.99, Baseball helmet: $19.99, 3M Respirator: $39.99, Tactical vest with level … <a href=\"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/?p=2212\">Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[545,1260,1185,38,355],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2212"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2212"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2213,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2212\/revisions\/2213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} Notice: ob_end_flush(): Failed to send buffer of zlib output compression (0) in /home/public/wp-includes/functions.php on line 5373