People joined in support of immigrants at Christie Pits Park as part of a counter-protest to a planned anti-immigrant rally.
A group named Canada First organized a rally on Sept. 13, Canadian Patriot Day, focusing on opposing mass immigration with the agenda of putting "Canadians first."
Ontario Public Service Employees Union’s President JP Hornick joined the rally in support of the “NOPE (Neighbours Defending Democracy) rally,” which stood against hate and the anti-immigration rhetoric.
“The few of the fascists that are down the streets that are trying to like step up, we’re here to say no way, this is not our Ontario, not our Toronto,” Hornick said.
They said Christie Pits has a history of racist riots, and they are here to make sure they are taking that back. The park at the corner of Christie and Bloor Streets is familiar with anti-immigrant protests. A riot involving thousands erupted at a baseball game in 1933 when youths flew a Nazi flag to provoke Jewish people attending the match.
“I think what’s happening right now around the xenophobia, the talk about international students, any anti-immigration rhetoric is a load of bullshit,” Hornick said.
They said Canada is a country built on immigration, and standing united is what makes the country stronger.
“So, we got to say no to this crap, this is the easy way out, you want to be strong, you want to be Canadian, then you have got to do it with everyone who wants to claim that space,” Hornick said.
They said their daughter was the one who told them about the rally and asked them to counter-protest.
Hornick said Canadians are not immune to whatever happens across the border, and we must draw our land in the sand, “grow a little privacy hedge between us and our southern neighbours.”
They said this movement is for our collective future and not just for them.
Jennifer, who did not want her last name revealed, said she is lucky to have white privileges as an immigrant.
"Actually, I have been told 'you're the right kind of immigrant,' and at that time, that horrified me because I'm not better than anyone else, and it's wrong to tell people that," she said.
Jennifer said this was the reason she attended, so she could fight for all immigrants, no matter where they came from or what their privileges are.
Jennifer’s husband, Alex, who also did not want his last name disclosed, said his parents immigrated to Canada during the Second World War, where Canadians died fighting Nazis in Holland, freeing his family.
He shared tales he had heard from his family about how they had seen the consequences this kind of hate brings about.
“They saw people being taken away and murdered," Alex said. "I can’t stand by and let that happen here. People are wrapping the Canada First rhetoric, and it is just racism, and they are trying to wrap it in the Canadian flag.”
The Workers Action Centre’s communications representative, Deena Ladd, who is also a resident of the Christie Pits Park neighbourhood, said when she heard about the hate rally taking place, she knew she had to do something.
“I called a whole bunch of different organizations and people and said, 'What are we going to do about this? '” Ladd said.
She said the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, Migrant Workers Alliance and Toronto Labour Council were among the first few to come on board.
They started to invite everyone, and people showed up to stand against this hatred taking place in their beloved park, she said.
“We’re really shocked, we’re like no way, we need to stand up against these racist stereotypes and this misconception that somehow immigrants are to blame for the fact that we can’t find affordable housing,” Ladd said.
She said Canadian politicians sparked these views, and they are doing more of a disservice to communities with these notions.
Ladd said the economic crisis being blamed on migrants is the fault of our government.
“Making decisions to not control rent, for not stopping grocery stores from increasing prices, and for not making sure that we have affordable housing and if those kinds of hate groups want to blame us, they should know they are the minority, not us,” she said.
Ladd said this hate group does not have any support for their views, which is why their number were small.
Police at the rally arrested eight people, including one for assaulting a police officer.
She said she finds it shocking that governments are taking the life savings of people coming into this country to get an education and then throwing them out.
“We see every day, many newcomers, many of the international students, many migrants, who are taken advantage of at work, paid less than minimum wage but do really hard, essential jobs,” Ladd said.
“And then we have the audacity to blame them for the crisis, that is racism, and that is what the rally is really about," she said.
She said this has resulted in the shutdown of several programs across the country. Ladd said she believes it is really important for students to question politicians like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when he starts to blame high youth unemployment rates on temporary foreign workers.
“Temporary foreign workers come in and work in industries that people from this country do not wanna work in, they work in the farms, they grow our vegetables and fruit, they work in the fisheries and the meat processing plants,” she said.
Ladd said these are places where even students would not work, and for Poilievre to blame immigrants is absolute racism.
She said people like Poilievre are blaming people who are visibly different instead of taking responsibility.
“The darker we are, the more we are to blame for everything, and this is the same old story I’ve heard in this country, having been here for over 40 years. They did it in the '90s. It is happening again. No more,” Ladd said.
