Propaganda in Gauntlet

By Mary Chan

University of Calgary students picking up the Gauntlet this weekend got more than they expected. Some copies of the newspaper on the stands in MacEwan Student Centre contained white supremacist propaganda.

The Gauntlet learned of the inserts from an e-mail and phone call on Mon., Nov. 6, and believe someone put them in the papers over the weekend.

"They said they found this information as an insert in our paper," said Gauntlet Co-editor Jan Creaser. "The two people asked US if we were aware of it. They didn’t assume we put it there. So we checked the stands and found one paper on one of the stands in Mac Hall with the flyer in it."

The flyers were printed on letter-sized paper, promoting an American organization called the National Alliance. Creaser believes the incident violated the Gauntlet’s right to determine its own content.

"We have control over what’s included in our paper," she said. "By putting it in, they’ve infringed upon our right as a publication to decline inappropriate content in our paper."

According to Campus Security Operations Supervisor Bob King, two posters were also posted in the Social Sciences building on Monday.

"Two copies of a poster bearing the name National Alliance were observed by one of our officers on patrol," he said.

King added that Campus Security keeps a running file on the organization, though they have never identified anyone involved.

"We have been following this hate propaganda for a few years," he said. "We would like to talk to anyone involved and advise them to cease and desist."

According to Constable Doug Jones of the Calgary Police Service, giving the group publicity plays into their hands.

"Unfortunately by writing an article and giving publicity, that’s what they’re after," he said. "I hate to give them that kind of exposure."

Jones, who monitors hate-bias crime for the CPS, added that there are ways to combat the propaganda.

"As far as what people can do," he said, "it would be nice to see the
U of C, if this is becoming an issue, form a group to discuss hate-bias crime to combat racism."

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