Anti-hate rally held at Hamilton City Hall as Dominion Society conference proceeds

An anti-hate rally was held at Hamilton City Hall Saturday to promote inclusion and oppose racism and bigotry.

The Hope Not Hate rally was organized as a counter-event to DomCon, a nationalist conference scheduled for Saturday in the Hamilton area by the Dominion Society of Canada.

The Dominion Society advocates for what it calls “remigration,” including a plan that proposes the mass deportation of an estimated five to nine million people from Canada.

Saturday’s Hope Not Hate rally was organized by a community coalition that includes the Hamilton & District Labour Council, the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre and other grassroots organizations.

Caitlin Craven of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion said organizers wanted to respond to concerns about white supremacist organizing while creating a positive space for the community.

“We wanted to make sure that there was a space where people could just come together and have community,” Craven said.

Families brought their children, while booths offered activities and information promoting inclusion. Music played as people gathered and “Hope Not Hate” signs lined Main Street.

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath, councillors and local MPPs were among those who attended.

“This is, I believe, a moment for all of us to come together to say hate, discrimination, racism are not welcome in Hamilton,” Horwath said.

For some attendees, the message was personal.

Mahalah Mallett said she came after hearing about DomCon. Her birth father, best friends and boss are immigrants.

“I needed to see it, to feel it, to know that, even as a person of colour, I’m not alone in this space,” she said.

Hamilton resident Jamil Jamieson, who immigrated to Canada in 1993, brought his family.

“I thought it was just very important to support what it means to not support any hate and just welcome everybody,” he said.

More than 200 people turned out for the rally.

Booths offered community information and resources, along with activities for children promoting messages of love and inclusion.

The atmosphere was light and upbeat, with music playing as people gathered and connected.

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