Canada: Proud Boys has been added to the list of terrorists

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The far-right Proud Boys organization has been added to Canada’s list of terrorist organizations, Reuters reported Thursday night. According to the report, the Canadian government says the organization – founded by Canadian Gavin McKins, who lives in the US – poses a security threat due to a “key role” in the Capitol riots that occurred last month and claimed the lives of five people.

The Minister of Public Safety in Canada, Bill Blair, said during a press conference that the defense establishment expressed concern over the organization’s activities, despite the fact that it had never acted on Canadian soil. Blair concisely explained that “there has been a significant escalation regarding violence, not only in rhetoric but also in planning, so we have responded in this way.”

Capitol Hill riot: Crowds erupted in Congress // Photo: Reuters

Proud Boys was formed in 2016 as part of the Alternative Right (Alt-Right) movement in the United States, and has members only men. Overnight, Reuters reported that 30-year-old Proud Boys activist Ethan Nordian, also known as Rupio Penman, was arrested following the Canadian declaration of the organization as a terrorist entity. According to the prosecution, Nordian was involved in the Capitol events. He may face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

In addition to the Proud Boys, 12 other bodies have been added to the terrorist list in Canada, including neo-Nazi groups and organizations considered to be affiliates of al Qaeda and ISIS.

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