Canada lists 'Proud Boys' as terrorist group, says 'violent extremism has no place'

Canada on February 3 announced a list of 13 groups named ‘terrorist entities’ including the far-right ‘Proud Boys’ saying that it posed an active security threat and that it played a “pivotal role” in the January 6 US Capitol attack that left at least five people dead including one police officer. The move, hailed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as government’s action to ‘keep citizens safe’, came even though Proud Boys have never mounted an attack in Canada. Further, the nation’s Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said in a statement that the worry over the group had increased among the domestic intelligence forces.  

"There has been a serious and concerning escalation of violence - not just rhetoric but activity and planning - and that is why we have responded as we have today," Blair told a news conference without providing further details. 

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What it means to be listed as 'terrorist entity'?

Following Canada’s listing, the assets of Proud Boys can now be frozen by the banks and other financial institutions. It will also be deemed a criminal activity if Canadians are found knowingly dealing with the assets of any listed ‘terrorist entity’. Any individual known to belong to the group can even be blocked from entering Canada. The founder of the group os a Canadian living in the United States, Gavin McInnes and American law enforcement have charged several members of the far-right group in connection with the shocking US Capitol attack.

Recently on January 30, US federal authorities detained two alleged Proud Boys members for inciting violence at the US Capitol building on January 6. The two Proud boys were arrested for charges of conspiracy and violence, in a first-ever against members of the alt-right group. Rochester county resident, Dominic Pezzola, aged 43, and Beacon county’s William Pepe, aged 31, are now facing multiple counts of charges in the indictment. 

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