VANCOUVER -- A volunteer executive for the BC Liberal and federal Conservative parties has been ousted after posting a string of messages on social media comparing Black Lives Matter protesters to Nazis.
Commenting on a news story about a man who drove past a Black Lives Matter rally in Kelowna and made what appears to have been a Nazi salute, Justin Neufeld wrote: "A BLM fist in the air is no different than a Nazi salute. Change my mind."
When a flood of commenters disagreed with him on Monday, Neufeld doubled down. He described the protest group, whose stated purpose is to fight systemic oppression and racism, as "an exceptionalist divisionary agitation group designed to instill anger and social disparities."
"It is no different than Nazism just the polar opposite in terms of demographic," Neufeld wrote.
At the time, Neufeld was on the executive boards of both the BC Liberals and the Conservatives in Kelowna–Lake Country riding. He has since been let go from both posts.
Local MLA Norm Letnick and MP Tracy Gray said they both contacted Neufeld personally to let him know his services were no longer needed.
"Obviously the BC Liberal Party and I don't share his view," Letnick said on Twitter.
"Racism is real, it is painful, and it is wrong," wrote Gray, who described the former volunteer's comments as "insensitive."
CTV News has reached out to Neufeld, who had not removed his comments as of Tuesday afternoon.
In another follow up comment, he stated he will "never back down" from speaking his mind and "will not hate myself for being a male Canadian."
