A group of concerned citizens and independent researchers joined forces to report on the rise of hate on Vancouver Island and coastal British Columbia. After a year-long investigation from 2022 to 2023, the group has determined that the self-declared Vancouver Island “Freedom Movement” meets the criteria for a hate movement, as outlined by researchers and experts such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.
Fearing for their safety, the group has chosen to publish anonymously. This report should serve as a warning sign to all elected leaders, community members, and people in positions of power: there is a movement brewing with insidious motives. This report merely touches on a small fraction of the hateful activities and organizing on Vancouver Island.
Hate must never be accepted in our communities. We must be willing to name it and counter it, otherwise we are doomed to repeat history.
Original Reddit Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/VancouverIsland/comments/144f34w/concerned_citizens_in_bc_publish_yearlong/
NOTES:
This was originally posted to Reddit, where the OPs Reddit account was suspended and the post was caught in spam blockers. It’s currently still removed, but you can view the hundreds of comments. The post was nearing 200,000 views before it was removed.
It has since been posted on Twitter by the alt-right. You can view that Tweet here: https://twitter.com/TomMarazzo/status/1668035073952690176
We need more people on the Left to post this and spread the word. People must know what is happening in the so-called “freedom movement” on Vancouver Island.
UPDATE:
After publishing the report, the Vancouver Island Freedom Movement has doubled down on their homophobia, anti-semitism, and racism. Posting explicitly racist material using the n-word, calling for Jewish people to be exterminated, and saying children of Gay parents are abused.