Anti-racism rally planned for Thursday in Regina

Five days after a woman was killed during an anti-racism demonstration in Charlottesville, Va., the Saskatchewan Coalition Against Racism will hold what it calls a teach-in and vigil against white nationalist violence in Regina on Thursday evening.

The rise of the alt-right political movement in North America is sad but not surprising, according to a rabbi and an anti-racism activist.

"I was very saddened, disappointed and distressed to see this kind of activity taking place," said Rabbi Jeremy Parnes of the Beth JacobSynagogue.

Heather Heyer, 32, was among counter-protesters who were marching through the streets of Charlottesville when a vehicle drove through the crowd, hitting some of the counter-protesters and killing Heyer. A 20-year-old man who was described as a Nazi sympathizer was charged with second-degree murder.

Parnes's sentiment is one shared by Chris Kortright, a member of SCAR. Kortright noted the historical presenceof the Ku Klux Klan in Saskatchewanas well as other white nationalist groups such as the Soldiers of Odin.

"None of this is new," Kortright said. "These are long-standing battles that have happened."

Kortrightsaid he thinks the emboldened white nationalist movements in the U.S. and Canada "want to maintain the power they had through settler colonialism. They see that they're losing it, so they're intensifying their responses."

Parnes said he is not aware of any recent anti-Semitic acts in Regina or in the province, though there have been buildings and monuments defaced in the past.

He added thatgroups that don't support Israel orJudaism are "entitled to free speech just like anybody else."

Parnessaid as long as critics of Israel or Judaism express their opinions without promoting hatred, that's fair.

The rally will take place at the Peace Fountain, located at City Hall, and begins at 7 p.m. CST.