In a disturbing development, a Mi’kmaq ceremony in Halifax on Canada Day intended to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women was interrupted by what CTV News called “a U.S.-based ultra-conservative fraternity-like group that believes in reinstating a spirit of Western chauvinism during an age of globalism and multiculturalism”. The CBC has a primer on the “Proud Boys”.
Two members of the Canadian Navy allegedly took part in the incident, which occurred at a statue of Edward Cornwallis, a military officer who issued a bounty for the scalps of Mi’kmaq people in 1749. Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan condemned the group’s actions via Facebook.
Subsequent news coverage has been fairly encouraging:
- Military’s response to ‘Proud Boys’ clash at Mi’kmaq protest is ‘a great step forward’: activist
- Forces members who disrupted Indigenous rally face ‘severe consequences’
Five false things right-wing provocateur Gavin McInnes said in a CBC interview
The founder of an organization whose members interrupted an Indigenous ceremony used a CBC interview to spread misinformation about the history of the Mi’kmaq people
‘Offensive and disgraceful’: Protesters cheer as City of Halifax shrouds Cornwallis statue
Mayor Mike Savage says veil is a temporary measure, will be removed after demonstration
Senior Armed Forces officials reviewing probe into ‘Proud Boys’ incident
HALIFAX — The Armed Forces says the investigation has concluded into the Canada Day incident in which a group of military members identifying themselves as “Proud Boys” disrupted an Indigenous ceremony in Halifax.
Lt.-Cmdr. Jordan Holder of Maritime Forces Atlantic told Global News the “results are being reviewed by the chain of command.”
The investigation began in early July, a few days after a group of “Proud Boys” confronted Indigenous people gathered in a park for what they described as a sacred rite.
The Armed Forces confirmed five members of the military were involved, and apologized for their actions.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of the defence staff, both condemned the actions of the men.
Administrative action was initiated, and the men have since been placed on paid leave. Rear Admiral John Newton had also said the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service was investigating.
WHEN Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, condemned “intolerant, racist demonstrations” by an “angry, frustrated group of racists” on August 20th, he was not referring to events in Charlottesville, Virginia. His remarks were prompted by a protest planned by La Meute (“Wolf Pack”), a far-right group originally created to oppose radical Islamism which has since moved on to illegal immigration. The group had intended to protest against federal and provincial refugee policies near Quebec’s provincial legislature in Quebec City. In the event, La Meute members were contained in a garage to avoid confrontation with counter-protesters outside. How are Canadians dealing with their own far right?
The recent protests were prompted by a surge in irregular immigration from the United States to Quebec. Fearing deportation by Donald Trump’s administration, nearly 7,000 migrants, many of them Haitians, have crossed over to Canada since the start of July in the hope that refugee applications will be treated more fairly north of the border. Action by far-right supporters did not begin with the arrival of the Haitians, however. On July 1st, Canada’s national day, a group of men in Halifax, including two sailors from the Canadian navy, disrupted a ceremony commemorating indigineous people killed during colonial times. The men were members of a group called the “Proud Boys”, a male-chauvinist organisation founded by Gavin McInnes, a co-founder of Vice (the media company cut ties with him in 2008). After the event, they received support from the Rebel, a far-right website led by Ezra Levant, a self-styled “rebel commander”. Mr Levant’s recent posts include a video praising Steve Bannon, Mr Trump’s former chief strategist, and one warning of the dangers of a prospective free-trade agreement with China.
Military personnel in Proud Boys incident return to regular duty
No criminal charges or demotions against men who disrupted an Mi’kmaw ceremony in Halifax