For perhaps the first time ever, Montreal's anti-racist and racist subcultures are finally on the same page. They're both bashing Michael Rosenberg, who ran with the anti-racists and now has apparently been charged with sexual assault on at least one young woman.The racist and anti-racist subculture in Montreal have long performance a street-level soap opera with heavy boots, never short of violence and dramatic accusations.
The most recent bit of excitement revolves around an antifa, or anti-fascist named Michael Rosenberg, (or possibly Michael Rosza) who came to Montreal via Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Toronto and London, Ontario.
He was accused of sexual assault, it's unclear what the details or circumstances are of the misdeed.Nonetheless he was quickly being tried by the court of public anti-racist and racist skinhead public opinion, bashed by both sides before even going to trial.
In fact it's not entirely clear whether his name is even Rosenberg, as a Mike Rosza, 24, was charged with similar crimes recently in Ontario and it could be one and the same person.
Rosenberg tried to express repentance on his Facebook page but that backfired and only made him look guiltier.
The racists portray him as a leader of the anti-racist movements while the ARA says he had no part in leading anything.
One anonymous commenter wrote: "Mike Rza has never been a fucking leader of anything except for a Facebook page. And he got a taste of some street justice quite a few times, in Montreal at least."
About a decade ago I'd regularly check in with the Anti-Racist Action representative in Montreal and some of their actions were quite laudable. For example they lobbied aggressively to get a man named Sacha Montreuil, who was allegedly involved in the death of a black man named Christian Thomas in Rosemount on June 24, 1999, reclassified as a hate crime.
But while their anti-racist position is something to be admired, they could often err on the side of extreme sanctimony. For example on May 19, 1999 about 40 ARA-associates went to the home of a young man and broke into his home, uttered death threats and other similar stunts. A woman involved in the protest was arrested and charged but after 18 months the prosecutor cited a lack of evidence and she was set free.
I once interviewed a young woman at the Cock and Bull who was also an unrepentant member of a racist group but ended up sympathizing with her somewhat after she showed me photos of how the anti-racist groups had smashed the windows at her home and put up posters of her on the street.