Dan Collen
Covers:
Conspiracy theorists,
Alt-right politics,
Fringe politics,
Music,
Alternative subcultures,
Hate Groups,
Cults,
Canadian news,
Canadian politics,
American politics,
Progressive politics
Doesn't Cover:
Feel good stories,
Economics,
Food,
Sports,
Popular culture,
Fashion,
Technology
Researcher. Hatepedia.ca co-creator. Words @antihateca, @gnet_research, @vice, dancollen.medium.com, & more. Affiliate @cifrsorg. Tweets about the Horrors. H/h.
Articles by Dan Collen
The Canadian Nationalist Party
Welcome to part 8 of our series mapping Canada’s white power ecosystem. Today we’re looking at the Canadian Nationalist Party, a small political party with some well-known members, some of whom have already featured in our series. Have a read, and share! Insight Monitor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Mapping Canada's White Power Ecosystem
Hello Insight Monitor subscribers! This week, we’re launching a ten-part series on the white power ecosystem in Canada. This is an important look at white power extremist groups operating in Canada, where they’re active, and what kind of incidents they’ve been involved in. Good news: the first in the series is already out, and it’s a look at the Diagolon network.
Global Terrorist Financing Report
Welcome to the Insight Monitor February terrorist financing report. I’m happy to say that our community has grown by another 350 subscribers already this year, a testament to our collective commitment to staying informed. In this edition, we explore the dynamic landscape of terrorist financing, focusing on incidents from the United States, North America, India, Pakistan, Central and Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Terrorist financing activity January 2024
Last month, there was a ~lot~ of terrorist financing news. I’m not sure if' we’ve gotten better at finding it (thanks, Dan!), if there’s more terrorist financing disruption happening, or if media has gotten better at reporting on it. Probably a combination of all three. Whatever the reason, it’s always a good day when we make things a little harder for …
The Diagolon Network
Diagolon is a decentralized Canadian white supremacist network. It was formed in 2020 and is made up of fans of the Plaid Army, a far-right podcast collective. Diagolon is known for promoting extreme hate speech, Holocaust denial, white nationalism, right-wing accelerationism, and neo-Nazism through populist messaging in livestreams and podcasts.
Slate with Transphobic and Far-Right Candidates Running to "Stop Woke" in Law Society of Ontario...
Banner image for FullStop's campaign website. Retrieved from FullStop's website. An open letter from former Treasurers of the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) has asked LSO members to vote against a slate of candidates that promise to "stop woke" in Ontario's legal system. First formed in 2019, StopSOP - since-rebranded as FullStop - has caused controversy in Ontario's legal community for the group's especially pointed messaging in LSO elections.
Netflix Movie "You People" Laughs off Popular Antisemitic Conspiracy Theory
Spoilers ahead, obviously. If, like me, you were to check out Jonah Hill and Kenya Barris' "You People" on IMDB before deciding to watch it, you would see that it describes the film's synopsis as such: This is partially true. The film does explore those themes. But like most summaries of this film, it buries the lede. There are two main points of friction between the families in this Rom-com.
Philosophy Group Accused of Fascist Influence Hopes to Grow in Canada
New Acropolis founder Jorge Ángel Livraga Rizzi (right) uses a hand signal in front of a man giving a Roman Salute to a flag depicting a symbol used by the organization in the past. Retrieved from a cached website. From 1957 until today, the esoteric new religious organization New Acropolis has operated on a global scale, at times labelled a "cult" and accused of running using neofascist and paramilitary structures. In September of 2022, I attended one of their workshops in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Nazis in Ukraine's Military May be Fringe. That Doesn't Mean They Should Be Ignored.
Earlier this week, the New York Times published a story on Russian disinformation that specifically used Nazis in Ukraine as a narrative for justifying Russia's invasion. The article cites data that, while telling, is presented by The Timesas though it is disinformation on the basis that the media collected in it mentions Nazis in Ukraine at an inorganically high rate. As The New York Times' Charlie Smart describes: Unprecedented spikes are telling of propaganda, certainly.
The Buffalo Shooter's Manifesto Is Full of 4Chan Pranks and Misdirection.
The Buffalo terrorist's manifesto is full of memetic pranks made to fool journalists and analysts. Some of these are clearly his own decision to include, while others may have been incidental. This is at least partially because sections of the manifesto are largely 4Chan culture internet memes unloaded in bulk and partially because details of how the manifesto was composed are mostly taken from the shooter himself.
Did The Trailer for Tucker Carlson's Documentary Reference a Nazi Meme Co-opted From a Bigfoot...
On Friday, April 15, Tucker Carlson's websites released a trailer for The End of Men, an episode in the upcoming episode of Tucker Carlson Originals produced by Fox News. Following a viral tweet by Nikki McCan Ramirez of Media Matters, the montage ending the clip was quickly the subject of widespread mockery for, among other things, its perceived homoerotic undertones and the appearance of "red light therapy" on a man's genitals.
The PPC Has A Lot To Offer the Left
There are currently no responses for this story. Be the first to respond. Here’s why we should hear them out. The PPC takes hard stance against radical antifascist activists and doesn’t give in to the climate hoax lobby. Many will say that their Covid-19 policies appear to be informed by baseless conspiracy theories, but these are people living to an impractical standard of factual correctness.
Memetic Warfare, Q Anon, Trolls, and More: A Walk Through Protest Signs in Ottawa’s Occupation
I spent an afternoon photographing signage in and around parliament during the occupation of Ottawa for the Online Hate Research and Education Project (OHREP) at the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre. At OHREP, we’re currently endeavoring in the largest study of hate speech in internet memes that Canada has ever seen, and we’re using the data to assemble a reference database of hate symbols, slogans, and recurring themes in Canadian hate speech.
Electric Wizard Releases Music on Label Known For Nazi-Themed Metal
The doom metal pioneer’s newest music was published by an indie label best known for repressing the works of an underground Nazi-themed band previously signed to national socialist record labels. A user-submitted photograph of promotional materials included with Lucifer’s Satanic Daughter by Electric Wizard behind user-submitted photographs of some other products sold by the same label. Photos retrieved from discogs.com.
Antisemitic Conspiracies Drive a Canadian-Run Vegan Jungle Commune in Belize
UFO sightings, multilevel marketing schemes, an escape from the ‘New World Order’ and admiration for The Protocols of The Elders of Zion influence a Corozal commune run by a Toronto woman. “Remove your face mask and do not comply You are not the reason dying Grandma died” Already unusual lyrics for a song. More unsettling, still, to hear on a Christmas carol.
Lightworkers Are Running as PPC Candidates
Social media posts from People’s Party of Canada candidates running this election include references to the fifth dimension, starseeds, and a galactic federation. Left: Chelsey Taylor. Right: An image posted by Rayna Boychuk. Both images retrieved from Instagram. Two candidates for Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada have described themselves as lightworkers.
Witches on Social Media Joined Forces to Hex The Taliban. They Got Trolled.
An online community dedicated to “the use of magick for the betterment of Afghanistan” may have started off genuine, but its 2.4 thousand user base is now largely far-right trolls. A Subreddit created on Tuesday has grown to host a clash between modern witches and pro-Taliban internet trolls.
Anti-Vaxxers are Hoping to Make A Killing Off Their Sperm
Spoiler: It’s not worth much. Content warning: racism and bodily fluids As vaccine hesitancy persists, anti-vaxxers — mostly men — are coming up with creative takes about the future value of their sperm. And while sperm banks have told me requests for “unvaccinated sperm” are hardly common, they have received some.
Alleged Threats, Assault of Police from Chris Sky Were Not Out of Left Field
Canadian anti-masker Chris Sky has demonstrated a long pattern of violent rhetoric, including but not limited to allegations against police officers. Photo by Kindel. On Thursday Toronto Police arrested Chris Saccoccia, better known as Chris Sky, and charged him with the following: 1. Three counts of Utter Death Threat 2. Assault Peace Officer with a Weapon 3. Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance Saccoccia first issued threats on May 12.
Kevin J. Johnston and The Tragedy of Kevin J. Johnston
A bar of soap, several Twitch suspensions, and particularly bad “Bronchitis” season have made one thing for sure: Spring hasn’t been kind to Calgary’s loudest adopted mayoral candidate. This will make sense in a minute. “The whole household’s sick here. Logan’s sick. Kevin’s sick. So yeah, we’re kind of just all in the dumps right now… But, it’s not Covid.” Derek Storie clarified during an April 23 live stream of The Kevin J. Johnston Show. Storie, Logan Murphy, and Kevin J.
Reflecting on Racist Pro-Ebola Communities: Pandemics Are Effective Pipelines for Extremism
Last Friday, The Trump Administration’s former CDC Director Robert Redfield told CNN that he believed Covid-19 had originated from a lab in Wuhan, China, and “escaped” to the outside world in the Fall of 2019. He admitted freely that he had no evidence of such, and that it was “only an opinion”.
Reflecting on Racist Pro-Ebola Communities: Pandemics Are Effective Pipelines for Extremism
From cancer to anti-black racist internet trolls, disease discussions have been at the forefront of extremist recruitment long before Covid-19. Content warning: graphic and deliberate hate speech, racist imagery, racial slurs, domestic abuse, violence to animals Illustration by me because I’m a narcissist.
Reflecting on Racist Pro-Ebola Communities: Pandemics Are Effective Pipelines for Extremism
From cancer to anti-black racist internet trolls, disease discussions have been at the forefront of extremist recruitment long before Covid-19. Content warning: graphic and deliberate hate speech, racist imagery, racial slurs, domestic abuse, violence to animals Illustration by me. Last Friday, The Trump Administration’s former CDC Director Robert Redfield told CNN that he believed Covid-19 had originated from a lab in Wuhan, China, and “escaped” to the outside world in the Fall of 2019.
Volunteer Organization Condemns “Hero” Anti-Mask Nurse, Pearson Stands by Policies
The CEO of a company that organized a volunteer trip that a Toronto nurse was returning from when she filmed a viral stunt has condemned her anti-mask activism. Representatives from Pearson affirmed the airport’s stance on passengers who promote unmasked travel, including a popular anti-masker that inspired the nurse from a trip with a confirmed outbreak. Recently, a Toronto nurse’s viral Instagram story became the subject of some controversy.
Toronto Caribbean Newspaper to Host Alex Jones at Second ‘Awakening’ Summit
On March 3 Toronto Caribbean Newspaper, Toronto’s largest Caribbean news outlet, announced a panel of prolific conspiracy theorists and far-right media personalities, including Alex Jones, for an upcoming digital conference. Awakening World Truth Summit promotion graphic featured Toronto Caribbean Newspaper’s Instagram page. The conference, titled The Second Coming, is the second event as part of TCN’s Awakening: World Truth Summit.
Major Canadian News Outlets Keep Giving Platforms to Conspiracy Theorists and Racists
Last week, The National Post and BlogTO published positive stories about a conspiracy theory organization with ties to alt-right movements. Both outlets left out crucial background information. On Wednesday, The National Postpublished a piece about Vladislav Sobolev, the founder of Hugs Over Masks, and his new spin-off group We Are All Essential, that faced criticism for both its sympathetic tone and details that it left out.
Antisemitic Anti-masker Arrested With 65 Illegal Guns, $18 Million In Street Drugs
Suspect in Toronto Police’s largest ever single-day firearms and narcotics bust was a COVID-conspiracist and antisemite who exaggerated credentials as a holistic therapist. Posted on January 18, 2021 By Dan Collen Source: Toronto Police Service On December 16th, the Toronto Police Service issued a press release detailing what they called their “biggest single-day drug and firearm seizure” with Daniel Dubajic as the target.
An Ontario MPP, a Reptile Illuminati Whistleblower, and a Man Who Scammed Cancer Kids Among Speakers at Upcoming Toronto Caribbean Event
The all-star panel features Randy Hillier, who was recently interviewed on an openly racist podcast, alongside self proclaimed son of G-d David Icke, Guiliani endorsed doctor ‘Zev’ Zelenko, outlaw pastor Henry Hildebrand, and disgraced anti-vaccine advocate Dr. Rashid Buttar. *Update: Kyle Kemper, a Bitcoin trader and the half-brother of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was added last-minute.
Inside the Anti-Mask Business Blacklisting Network Behind the Adamson Barbecue Stunt
Thursday morning on CNN, anchor Erica Hill asked John Tory specifically about Adamson Barbecue's defiance of mask orders. It’s rare for CNN to report on local politics in Canada, but they’ve been covering Toronto’s recent lockdown for their U.S. audience to show how countries outside the States are dealing with Covid. Both Hill and Tory were professional enough to not fan the flames of division by calling out Adamson by name when discussing what Tory described to CNN as “a sort of festival”.
That One Toronto Anti-Mask Guy is a Lot Weirder Than You Think
This blog is not intended as a source of primary journalism, but rather comedic commentary on the news. It’s satire. Feedback on anything, including accuracy of news commented on, is still encouraged. For reasons expanded upon later and to avoid enabling potential cases of narcissistic personality disorder, certain unique precautions will be taken in this article. Firstly, this article will not name anyone who wasn’t already named by a major news organization.
Canada’s Anti-Lockdown Movement Should be Concerning. Why Aren’t We Sounding an Alarm?
Editor’s Note: The following article does not reflect the political ideology of COSY as a publication. However, we encourage political conversation of all kinds. Update: In late October, The Line’s closed Facebook group was banned from the platform. Although many members have populated other social networks, There are still several local chapters of The Line and smaller partner groups active on Facebook.
I Joined Canada’s Largest Anti-Mask Group and It’s a Conspiracy Theory Dumpster Fire
Hugs Over Masks is pretty much a Canadian spin-off of QAnon It seems it’s nearly impossible to be on the internet the last few months without seeing at least one video of someone making a fuss about face masks in public. I know for sure my Facebook feed, Instagram feed, and front page of Reddit are all filled with short clips and compilations of those dubbed ‘Karens’ freaking out about mask rules. Some, you may have even seen on local news.
No, Richard Spencer Doesn’t Really Support Biden
It‘s not the first time the Alt-Right’s Troller-In-Chief has pulled this move. Content Warning: hate speech, racial slurs In the year 2000 there was South Park episode called ‘Chef Goes Nanners’. In it, the town of South Park is put into a political divide over the issue of whether or not they should change their undeniably racist flag. In their defence, dog whistles are too subtle for South Park plots.
I Watched Christian Netflix for a Week and It Was Worse Than I Thought
Pureflix is real and it can hurt you. I love bad movies. When people around me start talking about celebrity encounters, I get giddy at the thought of sharing my, let’s say unconventional, brush with glamorous Hollywood: Meeting Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero of The Room.
We Have to Stop Pretending We’re Better Than the United States
And by we, I mean the rest of the world, but especially Canada. If you’re a fellow Canadian, you’ve probably been somewhere in the middle of a debate on reopening your province or town/city that you didn’t necessarily want to be in at least once in the last few months. That’s not to say you don’t necessarily have a strong opinion about the whole situation, but more so that you’re probably exhausted of hearing about it all.
Why labelling Antifa as a terrorist organization is fucking stupid, by The President of Antifa
Published by Antifa International Corporation One Version of the Modern Antifa Logo. Wikimedia Commons. Since Small Hands has tweeted about it, I’ve lately seen a ton of steaming hot takes on the web similar to “Antifa are the REAL Fascists” and other incredible misinformation and ill-informed opinions on America’s biggest revolutionary movement. Most of all, there’s been a second wave of calls for them to be labelled as a terrorist organization, a push first blown up by Ted Cruz last year.
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