Report: Suspect charged in Winnipeg attack on convoy protest revealed to be Antifa radical

Dave Zegarac, the man charged in Winnipeg for an attack on the convoy protest, has been revealed as a far-left radical anarchist by Rebel News, yet local authorities are classifying the incident as a hit-and-run, rather than a hate crime.

Four people were injured and taken to the hospital, after a white jeep plowed into the crowd demonstrating in a convoy protest in Manitoba's capital. The jeep was seen on video striking one person. The vehicle than accelerated again and hit three more demonstrators. The man alleged to be the driver was taken into custody a short time later after resisting police officers.

The demonstrators were in Winnipeg to support the peaceful protest by truckers and supporter in Ottawa to end COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates.

Police charged Zegarac, who is from Winnipeg, with four counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm, dangerous operation of a conveyance, two counts of failure to stop after an accident knowing that the driver was reckless, and two counts of failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

Rebel News discovered that Zegarac, 43, is a musician and an outspoken vegan, who identifies as Indigenous, Serbian and Irish. He stated in his bio that his lyrics address anarchist politics and that he is a long-time anti-racist activist. He is the frontman of Canadian punk bands The Brat Attack, The Black Mass Brigade, Class War Kids and Dead Peasants Revolt.

Zegarac's now deleted Wikipedia page linked to posts and articles detailing his politics. A feature in the The Scope from April 2008 mentioned Zegarac's radical left-wing activism.

"The Applecart Collective is officially kicking off with a series of band shows for International Workers’ Day—more commonly known as May Day—featuring acts like Skull Face And Others, Are You Phobic, Adam Baxter, and Devastator.

Back in Davey Zegarac’s hometown of Winnipeg, there are massive protests in the streets every year, an actively political punk-rock scene, and a sizeable community of anarchists. So it’s not hard to see why he feels a bit restless here in St. John’s.

'I was surprised by the lack of activists when I got here. I get the gist that maybe Newfoundland is more community-oriented than Winnipeg. I mean, in Winnipeg there’s a greater division between the haves and the have-nots,' said Zegarac.

They plan to organize band shows, distribute progressive literature, produce a zine, show films, host workshops, and maybe even start a lending library.

And since there’s no such thing as hierarchy in anarchism, people can be involved any way they want—from contributing to the zine, to pursuing more radical activism."

A post on a local Winnipeg punk Facebook group said Zegarac is "…despised by every group or organization he's ever claimed to represent," and referenced Antifa. The post also alleged Zegarac has a history of inappropriate behavior with underage women in the punk rock scene. In July 2015, Rebel Time Records announced they would no longer carry new content from The Brat Attack or the Class War Kids, due to allegations of sexual assault against Zegarac.

The Facebook post concluded saying "Dave Zegarac is straight up a sh** dude! Always has been & always will be! Hoping he finally faces legal consequences for his actions."

In one Brat Attack song titled Hey Harper You Anti-Choice Homophobe F**k, Die Die Die, Zegarac called former Conservative Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper a "…fascist white bred bible thumper."

In Selling Revolution, Zegarac said it is "…our duty to fight these f**ks, to raise our f***ing voice" against "corporate imperialists."

CBC reported that police said that Zegarac "…wasn't for or against any of the general views that are floating around this country." Despite Zegarac's online presence, Winnipeg police claim they were not able to address the motivations of Zegarac's alleged attacks on the protesters.