Soldiers of Odin (SOO)

Soldiers of Odin (SOO) is a far-right wing anti-immigrant group (unlike most people who are anti-immigrant on this blog SOO will actually admit it) that has it’s origins in Finland.  The group quickly spread to elsewhere in Europe and now has chapters in Canada. SOO members dispute that they are a neo-Nazi organization, but it remains a fact that the founding of SOO was done by a Finnish self confessed neo-Nazi named Mike Ranta who has a history of violence against immigrants.  For information on other Canadian chapters of SOO please see ARC’s expose here.  Here we will focus mostly on the Greater Toronto Area’s chapter of SOO that has recently sprung up.

But first, let’s examine some of the memorabilia that has been sighted in the headquarters of the original Finnish chapter of Soldiers of Odin (SOO):

Seems pretty Nazi-like to me, eh?

If the boot fits.

The Soldiers of Odin conduct “street patrols” to protect (white-skinned) people from refugees.  One time they fabricated an incident where they claimed they rescued someone.  They lied.  Far right wing people lying?  What!?

As of late a chapter has emerged in Toronto, or in the GTA, and people wearing Soldiers of Odin (Canada) regalia have appeared at various demonstrations in Toronto.

In the Canada chapter charter it reads:

“Between the allowing of illegal aliens into this country and giving them the ability to vote and drive, accepting refugees from countries that hate us while Canadians are on the streets, releasing confirmed terrorists back to their organizations to cause more harm against Canada, and demonizing anything that has to do with European Culture to try and create racial tensions to turn citizens on one another; we as Soldiers Of Odin realize that it is time to take back our streets, provinces, and country.”

Yeah, thanks SOO for not turning citizens against eachother.  Thanks for uniting Canadian citizens.  Canadian SOO claims not to be racist or white supremacist, but a quick look at the social media profile’s of their members shows otherwise.  Seriously, read that last link in depth; many, many, many members of SOO in Canada are open neo-Nazis.  SOO Canada can claim all they want they are not Nazis, but if the goose-stepping boot fits, right?

Now, how about Toronto’s Soldiers of Odin?  Well, to trot out another terrifying Toronto troll named Meir Weinstein, leader of the local Jewish Defense League, another far right wing organization.  JDL is supposed to protect Jewish people, but spends more time harassing women in hijabs and Jewish community members who don’t conform to their fringe, ultra-right racist method of thought.  On top of this, Weinstein has recently gotten a lot of flack for standing in solidarity with Toronto’s Soldiers of Odin.

No seriously:

Here he is on March 17, 2017.

buddy buddies.

How can anyone who wants to oppose anti-Semitism affiliate with groups with ties to neo-Nazis.  No seriously.  This would be funny if it weren’t so depressing.

Now, I know what you may be thinking: “Calm down, this is just the Toronto chapter.  Just because ‘some’ members are neo-Nazi white supremacists, it surely doesn’t follow that all SOO members are!”

Yeah.  Except.  Here, look, here we see two member who were present on March 17, 2017:

This photo is from March 17, 2017, the same day Meir Weinstein made buddy  buddy with the man on the right.  Check on the man on the left, another SOO Toronto member (the one with the indigenous culture appropriated ears who seems to love European culture)

The man on the left, here’s his facebook profile:

Here is here, Claude Roy of London, Ontario.  Notice the guy named Douglas who just commented and added the numbers 1488.  1488 is a neo-Nazi code-term; the 14 stands for 14 words:  “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”^[1][2][3] It can be used to refer to a different 14-word slogan: “Because the beauty of the White Aryan woman must not perish from the earth.”

The 88?  That means “Heill Hitler!”

Again, why is Meir Weinstein associating with these people?  Is their mutual hatred of Muslims so bad that he can overlook the fact that they are neo-Nazis he is befriending — people who literally greet eachother with “Heil Hitler”?

Now, you might be saying: “But wait, some guy said it on Claude Roy’s facebook page, that doesn’t mean Claude Roy approves!”

Well…

Apparently he does like “Heil Hitler”

UPDATE:

April 1st a rally was held by Islamophobes and was attended by the same group of Toronto area Soldiers of Odin outside of City Hall in Toronto.

Soldiers of Odin attacking someone, April 1st, 2017

Police evacuated SOO and friends because the anti-fascists outnumbered them.  This is SOO moving through underground parking elevators to leave the square.  “So much for the tolerant Left,” they’re thinking.

UPDATE:

As many of you probably know the Soldiers of Odin Canada is largely a spent force due to infighting (a combination of toxic sociopathic egos and just downright stupidity). Perhaps they will re-emerge as something else in time?