The Aryan Guard was a
neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
terrorist organization based in
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, Canada, whose members are primarily located in the city of
Calgary
Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
.
["Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center advises of Calgary-based neo-nazi’s recent activities"](_blank)
, David Eisenstadt, The Communications Group, '' CNW Group'' August 19, 2007 It was founded in late 2006, and was reported to have disbanded in 2009 as a result of internal conflict including
pipe bombing attacks.
However, the group denied this late in 2009, and claimed it was still operating.
["A Statement from the Aryan Guard"](_blank)
, December 2, 2009
Origin
The Aryan Guard did not gain any media attention until 2007, when members began a flyering campaign targeting immigrants. Some of these flyers had been surreptitiously placed in the free Calgary arts and culture newspaper ''
Fast Forward Weekly'' by Aryan Guard members. The Friends of the
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a Jewish human rights organization established in 1977 by Rabbi Marvin Hier. The center is known for Holocaust research and remembrance, hunting Nazi war criminals, combating antisemitism, tolerance educati ...
for Holocaust Studies suspect that the individual responsible for the flyers may be Bill Noble, a neo-Nazi well known to law enforcement for his online racist activism and who has been in the past charged under Section 319 of the Canadian ''
Criminal Code
A criminal code or penal code is a document that compiles all, or a significant amount of, a particular jurisdiction's criminal law. Typically a criminal code will contain offences that are recognised in the jurisdiction, penalties that might ...
'' for "wilful promotion of hatred". The Aryan Guard's website is registered in Noble's name.
At a human rights panel discussion at the
Glenbow Museum on August 14, 2007, the topic of the Aryan Guard was discussed. Although the flyers were deemed "racially charged" and "disturbing", Inspector Bob Couture of the
Calgary Police Service, a speaker on the panel, stated that "there was not enough basis to take action against the group".
Activities

In response to the Aryan Guard's activities in the city, Calgary anti-racist activists held a rally in support of Calgary's
multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ''Pluralism (political theory), ethnic'' or cultura ...
and opposition to racism and racist movements. Some members of the Aryan Guard organized a counter-protest in response to the anti-racist rally. On October 14, 2007, approximately 15 Aryan Guard members protested at
Calgary City Hall. They were drastically outnumbered by anti-racism protesters. Police were forced to step in as a safety precaution.
On March 21, "a date recognized as both a white pride world wide day and as a celebration for the elimination of racism",
in 2008, the Aryan Guard staged a demonstration in downtown Calgary. More than 40 supporters of the Aryan Guard faced a crowd of over 200 anti-racist protesters who prevented the Guard from reaching their planned meeting place at the
Mewata Armouries. Police then formed a human barrier between the two groups and blocked the movement of the counter-protesters while escorting the Aryan Guard down
Stephen Avenue and up the steps of City Hall, where they waved flags proclaiming "White Pride Worldwide". Members of the Aryan Guard also taunted Jason Devine and Bonnie Collins, local anti-racism activists whose home was firebombed on February 12, 2008, while they and their four children were inside.
["Faces of hate unashamedly spew message", Pablo Fernandez, '' Calgary Sun'' (Calgary, Alberta), pg 4, March 23, 2008] As the demonstration wound down, members of the Aryan Guard were escorted to a waiting school bus by police and evacuated from the scene. An unknown number of anti-racism protesters, who had been under video surveillance during the demonstration, were detained as they left and forced to have their identification recorded by police.
On March 21, 2009, the Aryan Guard held another
white pride rally in
downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a dense urban district in central Calgary, Alberta. It contains the second largest concentration of head offices in Canada, despite only being the country's fourth largest city in terms of population. The downtown is divided in ...
where they confronted anti-racist, counter-protestors which led to a brawl between the two parties that brought traffic to a standstill. Several people had to be treated for injuries.
[Komarnicki, Jamie]
Protest turns violent as Calgary Aryan Guard, anti-racism activists square off
. Calgary Herald
The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network.
History
''The C ...
. March 22, 2009. The Aryan Guard had received media attention earlier that year on January 10, 2009 when they appeared at a protest against
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
's actions in the
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
, despite being asked to leave by the protest organizers.
Criminal convictions and other legal troubles
According to Const. Lynn MacDonald, the
hate crimes coordinator for the
Calgary Police Service, the Aryan Guard is considered a "criminal activity group".
On August 28, 2008, four members of the Aryan Guard were arrested for vandalism that occurred on the
Siksika First Nations Reserve near the community of
Gleichen, Alberta. On July 27, 2008, a 17-year-old member of the Aryan Guard assaulted a Japanese woman leaving a Calgary bar. The Aryan Guard member was convicted of the assault on March 13, 2009; he was released in April 2009 having been in jail since October 2008.
"Aryan Guard teen gets rehab instead of jail for vicious attack "
, Daryl Slade, ''Calgary Herald
The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network.
History
''The C ...
'' (Calgary, Alberta), April 23, 2009
On the morning of November 21, 2009, two homemade bombs were left on the doorstep of WEB (Western European Bloodline) member Tyler Sturrup. The devices were found and removed to a nearby parking lot moments before detonating.
Hours after Aryan Guard member John Marleau was questioned by police in connection to the bombing, due to information provided by John Marleau's ex-girlfriend, warrants for attempted murder and other charges were issued for Aryan Guard founder Kyle McKee and a 17-year-old accomplice who cannot be named under provisions of Canada's '' Youth Criminal Justice Act''. The accomplice was later found not guilty and released after serving seven months in jail. After the bomb attempt, the Aryan Guard's website indicated the group had disbanded.
References
External links
{{Skinhead
Organizations established in 2006
Neo-Nazi organizations
Neo-Nazism in Canada
Gangs in Alberta
Neo-fascist terrorism