Anarchy Symbol Designated as 'Hate Speech' in a Canadian City
So-called "anarchists" have been giving anarchism a bad name by vandalizing property in the city of Hamilton, Ontario. They sure aren't anarcho-voluntaryists, as that requires a respect for property. They have caused about $100,000 in damage during protests this past March.
The city of Hamilton has had enough of this problem. After condemning the acts and trying to find the perpetrators unsuccessfully, the fight against these half-assed "anarchist" idiots has taken a turn for the worse against all anarchist groups. The anarchist symbol has been designated as "hate material". As a result, the city is forcing a local anarchist group called "The Tower" to take the anarchy symbol off their headquarters as a result.
The symbol is placed on a plywood covering smashed windows, along with the quote by Buenaventura Durruti: "We are not in the least afraid of ruins for we carry a new world here in our hearts". I can see why they have been associated with the menace of vandalism in Hamilton. They proudly wear the mark of vandalized windows with plywood covers.
The smashed windows and the quote about ruin are a glaring symbol of supporting the vandalizing anarchists in Hamilton, so they have become a prime target for city leaders to target. In the U.S., this couldn't be done, as there are thankfully no hate speech laws, but that isn't the case in Canada.
Canada's socialist leaning government has thrown around it's authoritarian hate speech laws at people who have spoken against Islam and questioned the established "facts" of the WWII Holocaust. Simply questioning history that may be false is seen as "hate" in Canada and other European nations. Hate speech can apply to any "identifiable group" based on "color, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, or mental or physical disability."
Even though these so-called hate speech "laws" are Orwellian and akin to "thought crimes", which group is being targeted by the anarchist symbol? It's a ridiculous claim to make that it applies to "hate speech". City leaders say the Hamilton police provided a list of hate symbols with the anarchy symbol on it, but police say they never put the anarchy symbol under hate speech.
Since anarchy is at it's base anti-government -- as no rulers and no masters applies to the rulers in government -- it seems the local Hamilton government officials feel they are the "identifiable group" being targeted with "hate speech". Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger defended marking the anarchy symbol as hate speech by saying:
"Certainly the anarchists that have locally presented themselves have done things that would be considered to be inappropriate, so if you tie the two of them together, I would say that's a symbol of destruction and mayhem and causing a crisis to a particular area," Eisenberger said Wednesday. "Is that hateful? I think it is."
The government is protecting itself from ideological opponents and trying to silence their free speech and ability to communicate what they have to say. Hate speech laws are antithetical to free speech.
The U.S. may not have hate speech laws, but they do have hate crime laws that apply to crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. A recent Act that essentially places the police into the category of a "protected class of persons" has been passed by the House of Representatives earlier this week with an 89% majority.
The government and it's enforcer class are feeling the heat in various nations. The authoritarian rulers are seeking to ensure they are protected with various "laws". Will people in the mainstream realize what is being done? It doesn't seem likely.
References:
http://reason.com/blog/2018/05/17/canadian-city-leaders-declare-anarchy-sy
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/hamilton-anarchy-symbol-1.4664192
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8613999-mayor-backs-staff-decision-on-anarchist-symbol/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech_laws_in_Canada
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime_laws_in_the_United_States
https://steemit.com/politics/@krnel/new-hate-crime-bill-to-protect-police-passes-house-vote-by-89-majority
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Anarchists always stirred up bad vibes with me until I came to Steemit and encountered some who were rebranding it under voluntarism. Until I came here, I had always had the notion that most anarchists (based on the few I have met claiming this title and what I have read on them) were mostly angry individuals who were to be avoided and fought if they ever found themselves in power.
The few I have met ranged from those who not only hated government, but would also punish those who through ignorance or fear support those governments. Or, they were people claiming they worshiped dark forces with their dark rituals and such. As such, I always noped the hell away from them.
I would question though in the above story you share whether it is ignorant angry people claiming to be anarchists without really understanding it doesn't mean their brand of power over others, or if it might have been done by those seeking to discredit the ones who understand what a community of voluntary actions would represent. Here in the U.S. there are many situations where our law enforcement has infiltrated groups to agitate them into crime, often committing these crimes first to embolden those they wish to entrap once they play follow the leader.
Anachism comes in many flavors. All one needs to abide y is "no rulers" and they can call themselves anarchist really... That's why I mentioned anrcho-voluntaryist to be more precise about having moral principles ;) It may be infiltrated groups that did the vandalizing, but I think not, and that their brand of anarchism is more in line with the perception most people have: chaos creation.That's the shitty anarchism I find, where they drop the "rulers" but also ditch rules at the same time, rejecting moral principles or failing to understand them and justifying immoral actions.
No rulers and on the path to further individual liberty is what I would hope for from my friends. How you get to the objective is not important to me either, and the more varied our approaches the better off our cause is and the sooner the objective will be obtained.
All of these conflicts are caused by an uneducated populace. Most 'anarchists' I've met have not even the vaguest idea of what the true concept of Anarchy actually represents, nor do the general public.
People have associated 'possibilities' under the concept as the concept itself.
E.g; People associate chaos, violence, destruction and instability with Anarchy, and from there assumed Anarchy is these things but it is not.
Chaos and violence is possible at a 5 year old's birthday party, does this make children's parties chaos and violence?
There is plenty of instability, violence, oppression and chaos under government. Does that mean government is the afore mentioned?
Wake up and educate yourselves. Take 30 minutes out of your day and attempt to understand the reality around you. Ignorance is the epidemic the world faces.
I have a short essay posted on the Applied Philosophy of Anarchy, I would suggest this as a great introduction into the true concept of Anarchy: LIBERTY, JUSTICE, FREEDOM & TRUTH FOR ALL!
To an educated person words are tools. To 'the powers that think they be' an uneducated person is the tool.
Yes, although anarchy is simply "no rulers", and anything else can go with that... it does imply moral rule and law, as no one can be a ruler over others which means no one can take or damage property that is the fruits of others labor. Real anarchy involved morality. Thanks for the feedback.
I don't think all anarchists are angels and I don't think all statists are evil.
yes, divide and conquer at its finest...
No one is pure evil, that doesn't mean violations of moral principles makes one absent of engaging in immoral/evil ways
Phase 1: Weak men create bad times
Phase 2: Bad times creates strong men
Phase 3: Strong men create good times
Phase 4: Good times create weak men
We are in the Phase 4 of the civilization.
That is an excellent summary of a cycle in history.
Aside from the massive denials involved with the mis representation of what Anarchy actually is (largely being orchestrated by those who sit atop hierarchies who literally think they are threatened by anarchist logic) - the denial continues on and on when it comes to hate too.
I have said many times that hate is not wrong. Hate is only extreme dislike and there are many things that are extremely disliked! If we claim that talking out about things that are extremely disliked is wrong/bad, then we short circuit our entire ability to create change for the better! Would these 'rule makers' have arrested soldiers for saying they hated Nazi Germans in world war 2?! I'd say it is arguable that supporting an authoritarian dictatorship qualifies as evidence of a psychological illness, so then speaking out about them in a way that expresses the hate being felt is now a crime! lol.. I guess that works out nicely for the authoritarian dictators.
Yeah, statism is a sad belief in authority to rule others and harm people who do no harm. The authoritarians like to weasel their laws into place without much objection from the people... but sometimes people catch on ;)
A Canadian city does not have the authority to decide what is "hate speech".
https://usa-today-news.com/news/experts-say-hamilton-overstepped-its-authority-by-removing-anarchy-symbol-deemed-hate-material-2/
Thanks for the update :)
Have always loved a peaceful way in making your points clear..I might not have any right to stop their movement but I have the right to say they are wrong in the destruction of property ...cool if they don't care to see the world in ruins but the beauty of the new world is in their hearth cool..but it's not everyone that sees it from their perspective ..they just gave to understand that...
Awesome post
well anarchy has a very bad rap, because it attracts not only self conscious people, it attracts a lot of antisocial, self destructive personalities too.
Yes, anarchy has a bad rap because people only go with the "no rulers" bit and forget about rules and moral principles... :/
very interesting. i didn't realize the distinction between hate speech and crime and the difference between canada and the US. sad that a few have to shift things for so many. but really, outlawing the anarchist symbol? what is that legitimately going to do?
Well the backlash to their stupidity has been seen, and they dropped this nonsense ;)
Update
I just read today that the changed there minds after the story went viral! Hamilton no longer sees that anarchy A hate speech.
Great news! Thanks for the update :)