Food Against Fascism intertwines community support and political resistance
Free meals and anti-fascist literature are distributed to the Verdun community weekly
Every Saturday, a team of volunteers hand out free meals and anti-fascist zines to passers-by on the corner of Galt St. and Wellington St. in Verdun.
Bouffe contre le fascisme, or Food Against Fascism (FAF), distributes vegetarian food, coffee and left-leaning publications to the community.
The initiative frames its efforts as solidarity against the far right, promoting hands-on community aid as a form of political resistance and an alternative to province-funded support that is shrinking under budget cuts.
FAF operates on a shoestring budget of $70 a week, funded by both Concordia University’s and McGill University's Quebec Public Interest Research Groups and solidarity service donations. Volunteers stretch these funds to provide hot vegetarian meals, drinks and essential supplies such as feminine hygiene products, hats and gloves to those in need. The items primarily go to unhoused individuals and those struggling to make rent, but are available to anyone in the Verdun community.
“Everyone needs food. Everyone needs anti-fascism,” volunteer Will Lever said, echoing the group’s mission that mutual aid and activism go hand in hand.
The table offering free meals is set up next to an array of anti-fascist leaflets with titles like “Anti-Fascist Self-Defence,” “Strategizing to Stop Mass Deportation” and “Anarchism and Revolution in Black Africa.”
FAF started in 2017 as an extension of Concordia’s The People's Potato, a student-funded vegan soup kitchen. While FAF used to serve up to 300 people a week, it had to downsize as costs rose and the pandemic strained resources. Volunteers now transport food to the Verdun intersection using a shopping cart and wagon.
“Preparing the meals is a limiting factor and a test of skill to see what you can get out of a small budget,” said Scott, a professional cook and new volunteer who has been granted full-name anonymity for safety reasons.
Being part of this community of volunteers has allowed Scott to meet others who are helping the unhoused in Montreal.
"Now more than ever, this is important,” Scott added, referring to the Quebec government's recent cuts to shelter funding. "The poorest and most vulnerable are losing the few resources they had."
One volunteer spoke of the team’s dedication to assemble this initiative weekly.
“The only times we don’t [serve regularly] is when it's like -45 C, because the coffee and the food will freeze so fast,” said volunteer Sarah, who has been granted full-name anonymity for safety reasons.
On those days, the team walks around the neighbourhood to check on their regulars who live on the street, bringing food to them directly.
“We see ourselves as practicing 'soft anti-fascism,’” Sarah said. “For us, that means direct support—providing food, clothing and care to those left behind by the system. We also stand against gentrification in Verdun, which is pushing out low-income residents in a neighbourhood for the working class.”
The weekly gatherings attract a mix of low-income residents, activists and passersby, with demand increasing in colder months.
Lever explained that there is a great sense of connection with the community for volunteers and regulars alike.
“[It] encourages a space for people to come by and have a little chat,” Lever said. “There's a lot of people who just genuinely appreciate the effort that we’re doing.”
Lever hopes the project will continue indefinitely, “or until the revolution.”
“Until capitalism and the need for people to be on the street ends, there's going to be a need for food,” Lever said. “Until some sort of political change can solve that, we will be out here doing free food every week.”
This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 9, published February 11, 2025.
