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I wrote a story about hate groups in Edmonton. I would like to give you some insight into why I decided to do so. I don't even know where to start.
First off, it should be said that the fact we've reached a point in Edmonton where it's totally normal for people to recite neo-Nazi slogans in a public square, literally in a place named after a guy who fought Nazis, is not just ironic, but deeply troubling and dangerous...
“It should be national news for that reason alone. We’ve got these racist, essentially white street gangs, who are saying neo-Nazi (slogans) and saying they’re going to beat up anti-racist demonstrators,” says @ebalgord. “And they’re barely beating around the bush about it.”
It was decided the video I'm referencing is too long and profane to be included with the story, but if you'd like to see it you can do so here:
This trend I've been seeing in Edmonton is definitely a thing, but it was hard to turn into a story because it involved a lot of incidents I didn't attend, he-said she-said accusations, nebulous groups, online trolling...
Also, there was a lot of stuff I could not include due to being unable to independently verify, or because people were too scared to disclose their identity - death threats, businesses being harassed, people being doxxed. This is causing harm and fear in our city.
I can't tell you how many times this played in my head while trying to report this 
I spent about a day writing this story and then a week agonizing over it. I hope it makes you care about the rise of racism and hate in Edmonton: thestar.com/edmonton/2019/… #yeg
Big thanks to @bridgetstirling, @EdmontonAgainst, @edmontonpolice and the yellow vest/Northern Guard folk who are now calling me a liar/fake news for their help with this story.
Important - I couldn't do this story without the @TorontoStar investment in our newsroom. It didn't actually take long to write, but there was a lot of behind the scenes wrangling. If you care about journalism, please consider supporting our work! thestar.com/subscribe
