For my US friends, here's an article from the Toronto Star* that shows that we Canadians aren't immune from the political chaos going on south of the border. A right-wing city councilor and her supporters in Pickering (a suburb of Toronto and where I live), has been causing all sorts of problems for the local government.
In Pickering, those amplifying and supporting Robinson include Action4Canada, a national Christian organization that spreads misinformation in its Trumpian mission to “make Canada great again.” The onslaught is also being fuelled from within, by Robinson herself, who critics say is deliberately inciting unrest in council to grow her base online. In their desperation to restore order, city officials risk clamping down too indiscriminately, and in a way that could harm the public’s ability to interact with its government.
The Star repeatedly contacted Robinson with numerous questions about the findings of this investigation. Most went unanswered. On one occasion, she spoke to a reporter in council chambers. She denied that she is racist or homophobic, and has said on social media that she is fighting for “unity and equality for all.” She told the Star that she has been bullied and harassed by her fellow councillors and accused the media and city officials of bias.
* I'm not sure how strict the Star's paywall is (I have a subscription but they don't have gift links) so I'm including an archive.ph link as well.
As the article points out, even local politicians have been threatened and harassed by extremists. This Global News article looks at a federal report on the subject of threats to Canadian politicians.
Global News obtained dozens of threat assessments prepared between May 2022 and June 2023 by the Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre (ITAC), a federal body bringing together experts from across Canada’s intelligence and security agencies.
Several of the assessments prepared in December 2022 highlight the sense of impunity apparently felt by those who post threats and other violent content online.
“The sustained high volume of violent anti-authority online rhetoric against public officials has fostered a culture in which individuals feel that they can threaten, incite and celebrate political violence online without consequence,” ITAC concluded.
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