Canada May Officially Declare ‘Proud Boys’ A Terrorist Group After The US Capitol Riots
Federal officials have committed to getting serious when it comes to extremist groups like the Proud Boys in Canada.
In an interview with CTV’s Question Period, Canada’s Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair revealed that the country is considering adding the Proud Boys to its list of recognized terrorist organizations.
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They are white supremacists, anti-Semitics, Islamophobic, misogynist groups.
Bill Blair
"We're very mindful of ideologically-motivated violent extremists, including groups like the Proud Boys," said Blair.
The move would place the group alongside other extremist organizations considered to be a threat to Canada, such as Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, the Taliban and others.
Blair described organizations like the Proud Boys as “violent extremists,” and “white supremacists,” who are “all hateful” and “all dangerous.”
He promised that the federal government continues to actively gather intelligence on them.
“We're working very diligently to ensure that where the evidence is available, where we have the intelligence, that we’ll deal appropriately with those organizations,” the minister added.
His comments come days after pro-Trump riots broke out in the United States, where groups like the Proud Boys were present.
During the events, rioters broke into the American Capitol building — a move which was described by Justin Trudeau as an “attack on democracy.”
Blair agreed, telling CTV, “What we witnessed this week, an assault on one of the most important democratic institutions in the world, not just in the United States, and clearly motivated by extremism and hatred… I think that meets all of the criteria for terrorism.”
Shortly after the U.S. riots, Canada’s NDP leader Jagmeet Singh called on officials to list the Proud Boys as a terrorist group.
Back in 2020, the Canadian Armed Forces went viral online after publicly trolling the Proud Boys in a powerful message on social media.
*This article's cover image is for illustrative purposes only.