Many of us protested the Munk Debates’ decision to invite Steve Bannon to Toronto, and provide him with a platform for his propaganda and lies.  Bannon spread boldfaced lies inside the auditorium, politely met by some titters and some receptive ears, saying things like there is no correlation between the populist movement he helped build and rise in hate crimes.  He used his platform quite effectively to build support for his brand of hate and normalize lying and fear mongering.

Outside the auditorium, progressive Torontonians turned out to Shut Down Hate and eventually 13 protesters were arrested and charged.  The Urban Alliance on Race Relations is collecting donations for the legal expenses necessary to defend those arrested.  If you can, please pitch in your support.  Part of our fightback against the rise of people like Doug Ford must be to fight back against those who help fuel them, like Bannon.