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White nationalist fight clubs pose risk for ‘extreme violence,’ warns government report
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The growing white nationalist “active club” movement poses a risk for “extreme violence” in Canada, according to an internal Public Safety Canada brief obtained by CBC News.
The report appears to reveal, for the first time, that the federal department that oversees the RCMP is addressing this movement directly. In previous reporting, the RCMP would not specifically comment on the rapid rise of active clubs — white nationalist groups that operate under the guise of getting fit through training and combat sports.
Of the more than 200 known active club chapters globally, a “disproportionate” number, more than 30, operate in Canada, according to the report. Second Sons Canada — a similar far-right group — has more than 15 chapters.
These fascist fight clubs have increasingly moved from online forums to real-world training and public demonstrations.
“White nationalism is the biggest threat it’s ever been,” said Evan Balgord, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, who calls these groups the biggest ideologically motivated extremist threat in Canada.