More than a hundred individuals gathered outside Hamilton city hall on Saturday to protest against a self-proclaimed nationalist group aiming to deport millions of people from Canada, which had planned to hold a day-long conference in the city on the same day.
The Hope Not Hate rally was organized as a response to the Dominion Society’s event, with a focus on standing up against racism and bigotry. However, the anti-immigration group eventually relocated its planned DomCon event to Burlington, Ontario, instead of Hamilton.
During the event in Burlington, CBC Hamilton noted several individuals wearing Dominion Society lanyards in the parking lot of The Atrium Banquet and Conference Centre. Max Genest, a member of the group, was among them. Additionally, around 30 masked protesters and members of the Halton Regional Police Service were present at the scene.
Protesters outside the Atrium center mentioned that they were not part of any organized group but refrained from speaking on record due to fears of reprisal from Dominion Society supporters. They voiced their opposition to what they termed as “fascist and racist” ideologies.
The venue, unaware of the group’s background when accepting the reservation, stated that it respected the right to protest and had no knowledge of clients’ social and political views. This was confirmed by Alexandre R. Figueiredo, who identified himself as the owner and CEO of Atrium.
Efforts by various groups in Hamilton to raise awareness about the Dominion Society and prompt venue cancellations proved successful. Evan Balgord from the Canadian Anti-Hate Network expressed relief that the conference did not take place in Hamilton. Lyndon George of the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre credited the coordinated effort to keep hate out of the city.
Despite not disclosing the location directly to CBC, the Dominion Society’s founder claimed that the conference proceeded as planned, criticizing anti-Canadian activists and the Hamilton police for their attempts to thwart the event.
Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath, together with organizations like HARRC, urged businesses and institutions to be cautious about hosting events associated with the Dominion Society. At the city hall gathering, attendees emphasized the importance of speaking out against white supremacy and racist ideologies.
The Dominion Society’s website, while promoting Canadian nationalism and immigration reform, has been criticized for advocating the mass deportation of millions of people and endorsing the great replacement conspiracy theory.
Various political figures and community organizations in Hamilton and neighboring regions have condemned the Dominion Society and its ideologies, emphasizing the importance of promoting inclusivity and standing against hate and discrimination in the community.
