Canada has added the far-right Proud Boys organisation to its list of “terrorist entities”, following pressure from lawmakers to take a harder line against far-right extremism after the deadly riot at the United States Capitol last month.
In a news conference on Wednesday, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the federal government added 13 groups to the “terrorist” list, including the Proud Boys, the Atomwaffen Division, The Base and the Russian Imperial Movement.
“Recent events have made Canadians much more aware of the serious threat posed by violent extremist groups. These groups are unfortunately active in Canada and around the world. Their violent actions and rhetoric are fuelled by white supremacy, anti-Semitism, racism, homophobia, Islamophobia and misogyny,” Blair told reporters.