Canadian Far-Right Group Targets Vegan Café Looking for Antifa Members

Montreal-based vegan restaurant Café Frida was recently targeted by far-right political activists, reportedly because they assumed it would be filled with antifascists. Three men in matching white shirts posed for a photo in front of Café Frida and posted it online, with a caption in French stating they were “guardians of Quebec at the heart of [Trois Rivières’] Antifa neighborhood.” (There is no such thing as an “Antifa neighborhood” in Montreal.) That same night, a number of posters for a rally in support of Quebec’s recently-passed Bill 21—which bans public employees from wearing religious symbols, and has been enthusiastically supported by far-right, anti-immigrant groups—were put around Café Frida’s premises. A separate post by the men encouraged people to visit Café Frida because they would be giving away free drinks during the rally. “They posted the picture of them in front of Frida on their page and encouraged their supporters to ‘pay us a visit’ without actually paying,” Café Frida owner Gabrielle Cossette told media outlet VICE. “The comments section got a bit frightening with a gun gif and few other threats. [The man] then kept posting about us inciting his supporters to come see us on [the day of the rally].” A police report was filed after the incident, and police say they’re taking the incident seriously.