Last week in the United States and Canada, demonstration activity decreased moderately in the United States and increased slightly in Canada. In the United States, labor-led demonstrations made up more than a quarter of all demonstration events, though they declined overall compared to the week prior. Additionally, demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement continued at a stable rate last week, making up the third-largest share of demonstration events. In Canada, labor-led demonstrations increased following a decline the week prior, making up the largest share of events. Pro-immigration demonstrations also increased last week, largely due to a series of rallies calling for undocumented migrants to be granted permanent residency. Meanwhile, demonstrations against the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran continued in both the United States and Canada, making up the second-largest share of demonstration events in both countries. Finally, reported militia, militant social movement, and openly white supremacist activity in the United States continued at a stable rate compared to the week prior.
In Canada, people rallied in at least four provinces on 16 October to call for permanent residency to be granted to migrants who are either undocumented or classified as ‘temporary’ residents. This wave of action was coordinated by the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change and comes nearly a year after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a mandate letter to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser on 16 December 2021 asking him to explore ways to regularize the status of migrants in Canada (CTV News, 17 October 2022). Meanwhile, demonstrations against the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran continued at a steady rate. These demonstrations have been ongoing for five consecutive weeks.
In the United States, demonstrations led by labor groups made up the largest share of events last week. American Federation of Teachers (AFT)-affiliated organizations held several demonstrations in Massachusetts to call for better pay, safer working conditions, and smaller class sizes. Last week marked the most active week for the AFT since widespread teacher-led demonstrations in July 2020 in opposition to the reopening of schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. Demonstrations against the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, meanwhile, declined by around a third compared to the week prior, though they nevertheless continued to make up the second-largest share of demonstration events.
In Los Angeles, California, demonstrations calling for the resignation of city council members continued for five consecutive days last week in response to a leaked recording of a conversation between council members widely regarded as racist. These events included a sit-in and demonstration outside Council Member Kevin de Leon’s home beginning on 16 October, which lasted for at least three days. As a result of these anti-racist protests, events in support of the BLM movement made up the third-largest share of demonstrations in the United States last week.
Reported far-right militia and militant social movement activity in the United States continued last week at a similar rate to the week prior. On 15 October, the Lions of Liberty held a recruitment and public information event in Prescott, Arizona. Meanwhile, the Proud Boys were present at two demonstrations last week. On 15 October, affiliates of the Proud Boys and the 1776 Restoration Movement were among those who gathered at the Heart of Christ Ministries shelter in Gnaw Bone, Indiana, to protest against the federal government, gun control, and ‘cancel culture.’ Some demonstrators spread the unfounded claim that the 2020 general election was rigged. On 21 October, Proud Boys and members of an unidentified militia were among demonstrators in Nashville, Tennessee, who called for a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for minors. Counter-demonstrators rallied in support of gender-affirming healthcare (for more, see ACLED’s Fact Sheet: Anti-LGBT+ Mobilization on the Rise in the United States).
Meanwhile, on 21 October, armed individuals dressed in masks and tactical gear gathered near a ballot drop box in Mesa, Arizona. This follows calls by Arizona Republicans for supporters to monitor drop boxes and comes just weeks before the 2022 midterm elections (Arizona Mirror, 2 August 2022) (for more, see ACLED’s Fact Sheet: Far-Right Violence and the American Midterm Elections).
Openly white supremacist activity also continued last week in the United States. Members of the Nationalist Social Club 131 gathered in Quincy, Massachusetts, on 16 October to demand hate crime charges be filed in an ongoing criminal case in which a Black woman is accused of assaulting a white girl. Around 15 October, anti-Semitic flyers promoting the Goyim Defense League were left on cars outside The Grove Mall in Los Angeles, California. Meanwhile, members of Patriot Front held sparring trainings last week in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Members of Patriot Front also dropped banners with slogans including “Defend American Labor,” “Death to Tyrants,” and “Reclaim American Labor” in multiple locations last week, including Birmingham, Alabama; Athens, Georgia; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Finally, Patriot Front members held food drives in northern Arkansas and Amherst, Massachusetts, handing out food branded with slogans including “Better dead than Red” and “America First.”
Note: This dashboard automatically updates to cover the latest four weeks of data released by ACLED. Use the date filters to view data for the one-week period covered by this Regional Overview.
