Canada made history on Wednesday by becoming the first country to officially declare the Proud Boys a terrorist organization.
The move comes after NDP leader Jagmeet Singh started a petition to label the far-right group a terrorist organization following their involvement in the Jan. 6th riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Though the far-right, neo-fascist organization's link to last month’s insurrection was a factor in the decision, the Canadian government has had their eyes on the Proud Boys since 2018. The House of Commons unanimously passed a motion to deem the Proud Boys a terrorist group last week.
Despite the ongoing rise in popularity the group is seeing in the U.S., Proud Boys founder and co-founder of Vice Gavin McInnes is a Canadian. Though he has stepped down from his roles both with Vice and the Proud Boys, he remains a popular figure among neo-fascists.
Canada also declared thirteen other groups terrorist organizations on Wednesday. With the new additions, right-wing extremist groups make up eight percent of Canada’s list of terrorist entities. The Proud Boys are now listed alongside groups like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and the Russian Imperial Movement.
The Proud Boys continue to have multiple chapters across Canada. This new designation could lead to any crime committed by members of the group being treated as terrorist activity.
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