Anti-Fascist Collective Provides Free Meals Every Saturday
Food Against Fascism Has Been Changing Attitudes
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The cooperative collective organization, Food Against Fascism, has served a free lunch outside Concordia’s Sir George Williams campus on De Maisonneuve Blvd. every Saturday afternoon since its debut in May 2017.
Born in response to the momentum of far-right ideologies, the group is sustained by diligent volunteers and food donations. They fundraise and accept monetary donations, but never during a service as they do not want people to feel obliged to pay, an anonymous source said.
The nature of the free lunches has facilitated discussions with people who share opposing views. Long-time volunteers claim to have seen a shift in attitudes from “Why do refugees come here?” to “How people treat refugees affects how I am treated as a woman/homeless person.”
“We’ve seen a lot of positive change with a lot of regulars,” said a volunteer, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons. “It’s very encouraging.”
They provide anti-fascist literature for further reading, including the group’s vision statement, an anarchist calendar of events, and infographics identifying hateful symbolism.
Though the winter weather has decreased the amount of weekly visitors, the group has only had to reduce the amount of food they serve on two occasions. Their goal is to serve every morsel so that no food is wasted.
More information on the group’s fundraising events and community involvement can be found on their Facebook page.
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