A former white supremacist now dedicated to countering violent extremism recently filed a defamation lawsuit with the B.C. Supreme Court against Monika Schaefer, a local Holocaust denier.
Kamloops resident Daniel Gallant also named Arthur Topham in the lawsuit.
In 2015, Topham was convicted by a jury for willfully promoting hatred against people of the Jewish religion and lost a constitutional challenge to that conviction on Feb. 17 of this year. He received a six-month conditional sentence banning him from publicly posting online and a curfew.
According to the notice of claim filed in Prince George earlier this month, on March 21, 2015 Topham allegedly published an article on his website titled 鈥淶ion鈥檚 Zombie Army: Neo-Zionist zealots attack RadicalPress.com.鈥�
In the article, Topham allegedly described Gallant as a traitor of the right-wing extremist movement who had joined forces with the 鈥淶ionist conspiracy鈥� set out to do damage to Canadian society, and the world, by spreading lies and to cause people harm.
The article allegedly claimed that these same 鈥淶ionists鈥� perpetrated the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and that Gallant is connected.
Gallant alleges that those who rely on Topham鈥檚 鈥渁lternative media鈥� or believe Topham is a 鈥渢ruth revealer鈥� could conclude that Gallant is a traitor to the right-wing extremist movement and is currently connected to terrorism.
Gallant alleges that less than a month after the article in question was published, Schaefer published a comment on Topham鈥檚 article, which allegedly affirmed Gallant was being controlled and led by 鈥淛ewish Zionist conspirators.鈥� The lawsuit alleges both Schaefer and Topham published and republished that Gallant had been manipulated by 鈥淶ionist monsters鈥� who lie.
According to the statement of facts, Gallant alleges that Schaefer also frequents neo-Nazi meetings with violent Nazi skinheads.
Neither Schaefer or Topham returned a request for comment.
The lawsuit also named Google Inc., Jigsaw (formerly known as Google Ideas) and Blogger, as defendants. Gallant alleges Google continuously made the Radical Press available to the public, even after Topham had been convicted for hate crimes flowing from his website.
The website remained active for more than a year after Topham was convicted, but was shut down before his sentencing.
Gallant declined to comment about the lawsuit when reached by telephone.
The former Prince George resident is currently studying law at Thompson River University and works with people affected by right wing extremism and radicalization. He also assists former members of right wing extremism to get out of extremist organizations.
His work has gained worldwide attention through Extreme Dialogue, a global online initiative that encourages safe, constructive discussions around extremism and radicalization.
Gallant is seeking general, aggravated and punitive damages in an amount to be determined by the court.
None of the allegations have been proven in court and the named defendants have not yet responded to the lawsuit.
Paul Clarke
[email protected]
