Storm Alliance insists it is not racist, or even against immigration. They insist they are only against “illegal immigrants”; this is part of Tregget’s strategy of softening the image of the far right.
It is important to note that according to the Quebec Bar Association, there is no such thing as an “illegal immigrant” – this is not a legal category. The “Safe Third Country Agreement” between Canada and the US obliges people who wish to receive refugee status here to cross irregularly at places like Roxham Road. Referring to these people as “illegal immigrants” is a verbal trick to imply that refugees are doing something wrong or are in fact criminals.
Storm Alliance willfully spreads confusion on this point, accusing refugees who crossed this summer of “queue jumping” and complaining about the number of men crossing, buttressing racist fears of black and brown men. Indeed, Tregget himself has said of the current arrival of newcomers, that “I won’t say it’s an invasion, but I won’t say it’s not one either.”
Storm Alliance attracts a variety of people, ranging from those who are sincerely concerned about what the media tells them about immigration, to outright white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Storm Alliance member Jean Francois Dionne attended La Meute’s demonstration in Quebec City with a Nazi flag; whereas even La Meute made a point of distancing themselves from this man, Storm Alliance refused to expel him, saying it was all just an honest mistake. This is not an isolated incident, as Storm Alliance has made a point of welcoming all opponents of immigration to its demonstrations, including outright racists and fascists. A new anti-immigrant men-only group, the Northern Guard announced its plans to march beside the Storm Alliance on September 30, 2017, while the self-styled “ethnically aware” neo-Nazi Canadian Nationalist Front took responsibility for organizing the Peterborough rally inspired by Storm Alliance’s national day of action.
That said, Storm Alliance itself is not a fascist organization – it does not seek to overthrow the government, or to set up a dictatorship. It is better understood as a populist and nationalist organization, based on an inherently racist hostility towards immigrants and multiculturalism, which tolerates members who are personally pro-fascist and openly white supremacist. This is just one example of a tendency observed by antifascists in 2017: the national-populist milieus are increasingly prepared to collaborate with openly fascist groups and individuals.
