Ghost of a flea: First they came for the street kids

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April 28, 2008

First they came for the street kids

"Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act."
- George Orwell

Kevin Steel publishes a guest post by noted journalist, Bill Dunphy. Dunphy is writing in reply to Steel's post, "Stirring it up again", a salient reminder the Canadian government has a track record of using agent provocateurs to discredit marginal political movements, including - but by no means limited to - the white supremacist Heritage Front. Dunphy was an investigative reporter for The Toronto Sun when he exposed Grant Bristow, Heritage Front head of security, right hand man to HF leader Wolfgang Droege and paid agent of the Canadian security services (via Jay Currie).

Both articles offer an illuminating primer for some of today's sturm und drang about "human rights" commissions, maximum disruption and the old fashioned authoritarianism that underlies Canada's peace, order and good government. Two linked assertions stand out for me. First, Dunphy's contention that while "the media exaggarated the danger of HF and misdirected the public, the reality is that there was real danger inside that movement." Agreed. Second, much deserved kudos for Anti-Racist Action.*

Politics is where the 1990’s Droege’s arguments belong and where he tried to take them. Inside the political arena, Droege and the HFers stood revealed as delusional clowns, easily dispatched. Hell, the reality is that they were out-organized on the street and in the schools by a ragamuffin band of homeless street kids and anarchists — the ARA.

He is exactly right, though I would point out ARA had access to excellent advice in the out-organizing department. That ragamuffin band of homeless street kids and anarchists was very dear to me. Me and mine having been assaulted by HF members, I am not convinced the media exaggerated the the danger of the Heritage Front.

I was living in Ottawa in May of 1993 when the fight was taken to the HF on Parliament Hill and elsewhere. My clearest memory of the time is not of George Burdi** and the rest. It is of the general public standing by as teenage girls were set upon by thugs. But then Ottawa was and remains a respectable town and if your hair was pink and blue the sentiment was you had it coming.

That is how it always starts. “First they came for the street kids, but I was not a street kid…”

* Which is not to excuse everything the ARA got up to or, presumably, still gets up to. I used to know a bit too much about everything they got up to and am now delighted to say I no longer do.
** I gather Burdi has reformed. Good for him. As you can see from the linked YouTube video, his former comrades in stupid are not pleased.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at April 28, 2008 06:33 AM