Hamilton community leaders denounce hate after anti-immigrant demonstration in city centre

Less than a week after anti-immigrant demonstrators stood in the heart of downtown Hamilton, community leaders called for solidarity and denounced what they say is a rise in hate against newcomers.

Ongoing housing and health-care issues stem from decades of underinvestment, not from newcomers, "who are often just trying to rebuild their lives here in Hamilton," Rashed Afif said at a news conference outside city hall on Thursday. But too many people are blaming immigrants, he said.

Afif, CEO of the non-profit Wesley, which provides programs and services to vulnerable members of the community, was one of several local leaders to speak out in support of the Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council.

"We must not allow those who thrive on fear and division to distract us by blaming the most marginalized and vulnerable folks for issues that are rooted in our leadership's systemic and policy failures," Afif said.

That sort of scapegoating, he and others said, was on display on Nov. 9 when a group of at least 10 masked demonstrators stood outside Jackson Square, a downtown mall, holding a banner advocating "mass deportation."

Medora Uppal, CEO of YWCA Hamilton, said her team "firmly condemns" the demonstration. Every day, she said, they see the "scarcity, uncertainty and struggle" Hamiltonians face.

"We understand the economic challenges like the housing crisis, the rising cost of living and that people are struggling to secure well-paying, stable employment," she told the news conference.

"In these circumstances, it's natural to wonder if we have enough to share with more people. It becomes easy in these times to forget how significant the contributions of immigrants have been throughout our history as a country."

Police not investigating any crimes tied to demonstration

Several local politicians have condemned last Saturday's demonstration at Jackson Square, including downtown Coun. Nrinder Nann, who accused the demonstrators of cowardice on social media site X, formerly Twitter.

"Show your faces so you can be held accountable for your actions," she said.

In an email, Hamilton police spokesperson Const. Adam Kimber said officers were "in the area of the demonstration until the group dispersed."

Police "collected information" but did not lay charges and are not investigating any crimes related to the demonstration, he said, adding that police recognize "events like these have a far-reaching impact on our community."

Lyndon George, executive director of the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC), said it's important to consider what was going on across the street from the Jackson Square demonstrators. Every Saturday at Gore Park, people in need line up to access food provided by a community group.

"When groups in our community are coming together to support one another, by providing food and resources to marginalized communities, it is no mistake when people show up with banners that are meant to exclude them."

HARRC collects community reports on hate incidents and received several about the demonstration, George said. After discussions with anti-hate groups, he said HARRC suspects the demonstrators in Hamilton are affiliated with known racist groups in the region and may be some of the same people who were involved in distributing white supremacist material downtown last month.

Foreign, domestic politics contribute to hate: expert

Barbara Perry, director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, told CBC Hamilton that once U.S. president-elect Donald Trump started calling for "mass deportation," far-right extremist groups picked up on that language.

Such groups have been "really emboldened," she said, as the messaging may be seen as more acceptable.

Perry also said that federal government policy changes regarding international students and the number of immigrants admitted to Canada "play into anxiety" around newcomers.

They may not be explicitly anti-immigrant, she said, but observers may infer that there is a problem with immigrants.

"People are angry" and looking for scapegoats," Perry said.

Hate is often underreported, George said, adding it's incumbent on the community to step up and work together to ensure people targeted by hate groups feel supported.

Terri Bedminster, director of Refuge Newcomer Health, emceed Thursday's event. Jérôme Pommier, spokesperson for the Community Advisory Council of the Welcoming Francophone Community of Hamilton, and local business owners Theresa Horak and Tej Sandhu also spoke.

Sandhu, who founded Merit Brewing Company, shared the story of his grandfather coming to Canada from India and opening a chain of furniture stores in British Columbia, where he employed many immigrants.

"Part of what we're here to do is not just condemn this hate, but hopefully lift our voices together to be louder than the hate itself, so that that hate knows that it does not have a home here," he said.

Several speakers, including Greg Dunnett, president and CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, said immigration is crucial to Canada's economic growth.

Mike Collins-Williams, who leads the West End Home Builders' Association, was unable to attend but shared a statement in which he said his group's member companies are proud to be led by the descendants of immigrants whose businesses "literally built" Hamilton.

"Today, it is largely immigrants who make up our labour force, driving forward the residential construction industry and building the very fabric of our city," he said.