To the citizens of Calgary,

Calgary has the unfortunate distinction of being the hate-crime capital of Canada. According to Stats Canada
Calgary rate of hate crimes is higher than the national average. Certainly an expression of this is the fact
that Calgary is currently home to more than one neo-Nazi organisation.

This situation has been going on for over three years. We have seen multiple individuals targeted by these vicious bigoted criminals because they are different from them, or disagree from them. We have seen anti-racists activists  targeted, including the recent attempt on the life of Jason Devine in the home invasion of his and Bonnie Devine's
house. A visiting close friend and fellow activist was also brutally beaten. How many other people will be victims of this hatred, this violence?

And what responses have we seen from Calgary's public servants? We have seen the majority of the last City Council either downplay the threat of these neo-Nazi groups, or ignore them altogether. We have seen these violent gangs allowed to march down our city streets and even provided police protection! It took members of ARA and many, many other Calgarians to stop these neo-Nazis from freely marching in 2009. When will our city be better served publicly.

We hope that with a new Mayor and a new City Council this past inaction will cease. Yet because of this previous experience of inaction, and the urgency of the situation, we will not sit silent wishing hopefully for a positive change. We demand that those who were elected to positions of authority finally take an aggressive approach to these pressing issues in Calgary. These neo-Nazi groups, and all forms of discrimination which provide an environment for them to grow, must be gotten rid of. If this city's leaders do not take action, they will be exposing themselves as failing the job they were selected for.

We urge you to sign this position and to send a message to our municipality that violence and hate crimes will not be tolerated in our city.  Please let your voice be heard and send a message to our newly elected Mayor, Mr Naheed Nenshi, and to our City Council.

Thank you.

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