TORONTO (AP) – The Canadian government designated the Proud Boys group as a terrorist entity on Wednesday, noting that they played a central role in the US Capitol insurrection on January 6.
The Proud Boys have faced further scrutiny after seizing the policies of the former Trump administration and the group was a major agitator during previous protests and the Capitol rebellion on January 6. The Proud Boys are a far-right, extremist chauvinist group known for engaging in violent clashes at political rallies. Canada is the first country to designate them as a terrorist entity.
During a presidential debate in September, Donald Trump urged the Proud Boys to “step back and wait” when asked to condemn them by a moderator.
Senior officials speaking at a technical briefing said the authorities monitored and collected evidence about the Proud Boys before the Capitol insurrection, but confirmed that the event provided information that aided the decision to list the organization.
Public Security Minister Bill Blair said they had revealed themselves.
“His intention and his escalation towards violence became very clear,” said Blair.
Enrique Tarrio, the president of Proud Boys, called the terrorist designation “ridiculous”.
“There is no basis for that. It is a violation of the rights of freedom of expression. All the Canadian Proud Boys have done is go to rallies, ”said Tarrio in a telephone interview.
“They used what happened at Capitol to push for it.”
Tarrio said that Canadian chapters are very quiet compared to Americans. He estimated that there are between 1,000 and 1,500 Proud Boys in Canada.
Tarrio was arrested in Washington shortly before the Capitol rebellion. He was accused of vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a previous protest in the country’s capital.
Meanwhile, US federal officials on Wednesday arrested a man who describes himself as the “Sergeant-at-Arms” of the Proud Boys chapter in Seattle after being charged with connection to the US Capitol riot. He is at least the eighth defendant linked to the Proud Boys facing federal charges after thousands of pro-Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol while Congress met to certify Joe Biden’s presidential victory
Asked whether the United States will follow Canada and designate Proud Boys as a terrorist entity, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the United States has an ongoing review of domestic extremism. “We will wait for this review to be completed before making any determinations,” said Psaki.
The designation of terrorist in Canada means that the group may have its assets seized and face more severe criminal penalties related to terrorism. A government official said that just because they are members does not mean that they will be charged with a crime, but if they are involved in violent acts, they can be charged with terrorist crimes.
Sending money to the organization or buying Proud Boys paraphernalia would also be a crime.
“The group and its members openly encouraged, planned and conducted violent activities against those they perceived to be contrary to their ideology and political beliefs,” said the Canadian government in information materials.
“The group regularly watches Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests as counter-protesters, often engaging in violence against BLM supporters. On January 6, 2021, the Proud Boys played a key role in the United States Capitol insurrection. “
The government calls the Proud Boys a neo-fascist organization with semi-autonomous sections located in the United States, Canada and internationally. He said that he engages in political violence and that members defend misogynist, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant and white supremacy ideologies.
“Since 2018, we have seen an escalation of violence for this group,” said Blair.
Blair said that four right-wing groups, including a white supremacist group called The Base, who advocated the use of violence to accelerate the overthrow of the United States government, and the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division were also designated as terrorist entities. They are part of 13 additions to the list, which also includes three groups linked to Al Qaeda, four associated with the Islamic State group and an organization in Kashmir.
The Proud Boys were formed in 2016 by Canadian Gavin McInnes, who co-founded Vice Media. Tarrio said that McInnes is no longer a member.
Nelson Wiseman, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto, said Trudeau’s liberal government is trying to link his star to the prevailing anti-Trump sentiment in Canada.
“As the Proud Boys are identified with Trump, they are an easy target. If Trump had won the election, I’m confident that the Liberals wouldn’t have chased the Proud Boys, ”said Wiseman.
“There is right-wing extremism in Canada, but much, much less than in the USA”