Ep 144 Making a (Terrorism) List, Checking it Twice

In the wake of the riot (often described as an insurrection) at the Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6, there have been calls for the government of Canada to do more to combat far right terrorism. This includes listing the Canadian-founded Proud Boys, a far-right, chauvinist and neo-fascist organization. It is alleged that members of the Proud Boys participated in acts of terrorist violence that day, as well as during several earlier high-profile incidents.

In this episode, Stephanie, Leah and Jess break down the listing process – how it is done and what the consequences are. They look at the issue of whether it is a political vs a politicized process, and some criticisms of the listings process – does adding more entities to the listings process simply strengthen a system that disproportionately impacts minorities in Canada, particularly Muslim groups? What might be done to improve this process?

Referenced in this episode:

Jessica Davis in the Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-canada-cant-continue-to-give-the-proud-boys-and-other-extremist-groups/

For a critical take of the listings process, see Monia Mazigh: https://rabble.ca/columnists/2021/01/should-proud-boys-be-labelled-terrorists#at_pco=smlrebv-1.0&at_si=600516190552ed95&at_ab=per-2&at_pos=1&at_tot=5

Vice media coverage of the Proud Boys’ actions on Capitol Hill: https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdmva/a-proud-boy-in-disguise-helped-lead-the-insurrection-at-the-capitol