Summary
History
The FQS launched its website in July 2007 in the wake of the debate surrounding reasonable accommodation in Quebec. The “federation” quickly emerged as the Quebec division of the French National Socialist Movement (MNSF), with its first website having actually been hosted on the MNSF website. On the American side, the FQS was inspired by neo-Nazi groups like the National Alliance and recruited its first members from the Quebec page of Stormfront, a US forum run by Don Black, a former KKK leader recognized for his adhering to the principles of white nationalism.
The FQS presents itself as “a network of men and women, native Québécois, supporters of the principle of the sacred union between the land and its people”. Their speeches/discourses are filled with anti-elitism and national-populism, which are recognized as important features of the extreme right:
“In the face of globalism, multiculturalism and other fads that try to homogenize us, cut us off from our roots and turn us into mere soulless consumers, we have chosen active resistance.”
“In the face of the corrupt politicians who sold our country, we refuse to take part in the disastrous electoral game, where the parties change, but the ideas remain the same.The response to the problems of our people is not in Parliament, but within us. The nation is not a vague concept, it flows in our veins. “
The first goal of FQS founder Maxime Fiset (who has since converted into a so-called specialist in extreme right issues under the auspices of the Center for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence), was to bring together the skinhead scene and neo-Nazis in Quebec around a common project. This shared project manifested itself through the FQS blog and direct actions, such as anti-immigration protests or, for example, the installation of racist stickers on the windows of an African grocery store in Saguenay or more recently in Quebec City and Sherbrooke. One of the main channels for disseminating FQS ideas is their magazine, The Harfang, which publishes original texts, which are translated and written by figures of the European far right or the Alt-right in the United States, as well as reproducing texts of former publications of the extreme right in Quebec such as the Cahiers de Jeune Nation (which were published in the years 1980-1990). The FQS is also promoting former members of the Cercle Jeune Nation, such as Jean-Claude Dupuis (presently a professor at a school of the St-Pie X Society in Sainte-Foy), and Ricardo Duchesne, a Fascist intellectual based at the University of New Brunswick and who is involved with the Council of European Canadians, a group who believes that Canada must remain majority European.
Structure
There is very little information available on the structure of the FQS, which seems to operate in a rather decentralized fashion. The group initially had about 58 members and has not seen a major increase since then. They were soon discredited and criticized by the media, particularly because of explicit references to Nazism and the KKK as sources of inspiration on their website, as well as their members voicing extremist positions on the public forum of the group:
“I admit that I would like the idea of a crusade gathering whites from several countries to liberate all the white countries one by one.”
“Immigration is not desirable, as it brings poverty, unemployment and debt to society, in addition to bringing the danger of ethnic blending.”
“More Muslims, more accommodation, more loss for Quebec’s heritage.””Everyone here is against non-white immigration.”
“This is the moment to train paramilitary troops in the white skin environment.”
More recently, the FQS has said it favors the election of a Quebec version of Trump who “would protect native Québécois from massive immigration” and act against the “risk of losing our majority”. The media’s continuing discrediting of the FQS is likely to affect the expansion of its organizational core beyond skinhead circles. Although the group continues to organize actions today and their Facebook page has some 3,800 followers, their ability to establish themselves in a sustainable manner seems limited by their inability to conceal their anti-immigration and racist beliefs and goals or present themselves in a more media-friendly way.
Known Activity
In addition to the installation of stickers and the deployment of banners, the FQS also offers a platform for the dissemination of far-right ideas in Quebec, with the publication of its magazine “Le Harfang” and its website. They support the actions of other far-right groups, such as the deployment of a banner on which was written”Refugees no thank you!” above highway Henri-IV in Quebec City, which was then deployed in Jonquière a few days later.