This past Saturday, Sackville’s Bill Johnstone Park was a hive of activity as people responded to two very different calls for rallies at the park at roughly the same time: a group of about 80 local residents celebrating LGBTQ+ rights, and a smaller group coalescing around common conspiracy theories.
About 25 people came to the park from around the province to hold a “World Wide Rally For Freedom” in Sackville, an event called in dozens of cities and towns by a group known as Worldwide Demonstrations with a presence on Facebook and Telegram.
Organizer Melissa Kearns says many of the group came from Sussex, Hampton and Saint John and also from across the border in Amherst. “We actually wanted to do Sackville because we were hoping to pull in Nova Scotia and PEI,” said Kearns. “And just kind of make it so that we all converged in one place… This is a global thing. It’s not about Sackville. It’s not about New Brunswick. It’s not about any one group. This is everybody’s freedom.”
Hold the Line NB, Druthers, and Diagolon
Kearns said she’s affiliated with Hold the Line NB, a slogan which points to a website for the New Brunswick Anti-Smart City Alliance, featuring articles on a number of conspiracy theories popular with far right movements. Kearns handed out printed materials on Saturday, including copies of Druthers, a 12-page newsprint publication which originated as an anti-COVID restrictions tabloid in November 2020. The issue handed out in Sackville Saturday includes pieces proclaiming that the “United Nations seeks totalitarian power,” and outlining a supposed global agenda to “destroy the children”. The cover story conflates the concepts of smart cities and 15-minute cities, arguing that governments aim to imprison residents within 15-minute travel perimeters in order to better harvest their data.
Kearns said that the focus of Saturday’s rally was digital IDs and the continuing move towards cashless transactions, which she is concerned will spell the end of things like garage sales. “Nothing without the government knowing and even approving your transactions, eventually,” said Kearns. “I mean, can you imagine not being able to give your grandkids a toonie to go to the store?”
Melissa and Ray Kearns came to Sackville on September 23, 2023 for a World Wide Rally for Freedom. Photo: Erica Butler
About a half dozen of the ralliers carried large ‘Hold the Line NB’ flags, and at least one member of the group sported a shirt with a Diagolon logo. Diagolon is a Canadian extremist group set on accelerating societal collapse, founded by Nova Scotian Jeremy MacKenzie, a Canadian veteran and podcaster who is known for jokingly suggesting the rape of Ana Poilievre, wife of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, last year.
While Kearns said Saturday’s protest was not focussed on LGBTQ+ issues, and that the group was not against the gay community, she also said they are aligned with another far right group known as Gays Against Groomers, which is considered to be anti-LGBTQ+. The term “groomers” is widely criticized as a misleading and defamatory slur, as it is often used by far right groups in blanket reference to LGBTQ+ individuals.
Sackvillians respond with a ‘joyful event’
Sackville resident Tasia Alexopoulos helped put out the call for an LGBTQ+ rights rally on Saturday, September 23, 2023. Photo: Erica Butler
Kearns and fellow ralliers gathered on the sidewalk near the entrance, while the rest of Bill Johnstone Park was filled with about 80 people sporting rainbow umbrellas and flags, with picnic blankets, bubble machines and dance music. Sackville resident Tasia Alexopoulos helped call the rally in support of LGBTQ+ rights, partly in response to protests which took place in New Brunswick last Wednesday, and partly in anticipation of anti-LGBTQ+ messaging at the World Wide Rally for Freedom.
“We’re all here today to celebrate what’s wonderful about our community,” said Alexopoulos, “which is that it’s fun, it’s loving, it’s inclusive, it’s welcoming. You know, we are not a place that excludes people or threatens people. And so we just thought it would be a nice idea to invite everyone to the park to dance and eat cake and do some crafts and have fun.”
The two groups were wary of each other on Saturday, but there were no direct conflicts, and some friendly discussions occurred between attendees of the different rallies.
“Whatever their opinions are, whatever their beliefs are, we also have opinions and beliefs and we’re exercising our right to to have those beliefs and opinions as well,” said Alexopoulos.
“I think everybody is entitled to their opinions, but I think a lot of the opinions that they hold are not based on facts or evidence or reality, they’re based on fear,” said Alexopoulos. “And countering fear with fear doesn’t work. That’s why we wanted to have a really joyful event today.”