A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) crest is seen on a member’s uniform in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on July 24, 2019. (Shannon VanRaes/File Photo via Reuters)
The RCMP is clarifying remarks made by an officer discussing radicalization in a video clip that sparked controversy, with the police force headquarters saying it was not suggesting that someone with traditional values is an extremist.
“The RCMP is in no way implying that embracing traditional values makes an individual radical or extreme,” spokesperson Marie-Eve Breton told The Epoch Times in a statement on July 9.
Earlier this week, after the RCMP announced charges being laid against an active member of the military and others for an alleged plot to “forcibly” take land in the Quebec City area, an RCMP officer discussed the issue of radicalization during an interview with CBC News.
Staff Sergeant Camille Habel told the public broadcaster that an individual who is radicalizing may show signs such as isolating themselves or changing their behaviour or stance on a topic.
She said if someone was once a strong believer in “equal gender rights, but all of a sudden are leaning towards like traditional values, then that might be a sign that they’re becoming more extremist.”
Habel added that having the “most extremist views is perfectly legal” and that only acting with violence to advance those views is a criminal offence.
Various clips of Habel’s interview on CBC garnered hundreds of thousands of views and reactions on the X social media platform. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms commented by saying that “No, [RCMP], having ‘traditional values’ does not make you an ‘extremist.’”
Barry Bussey, a lawyer and president of the First Freedoms Foundation, also reacted and asked for more context to understand Habel’s comments. In an email to The Epoch Times, he said the RCMP and other federal institutions appear to have been “influenced by post-modern ideological views on what is deemed acceptable.”
“Instead of focusing on those adopting ’traditional values,’ which for many is a sign of spiritual maturity, perhaps our institutions should address the sources of street violence,” he said.
Change in Behaviour
RCMP spokesperson Breton also mentioned in her statement that a sudden change in behaviour could be an indicator of radicalization, but said it would typically be in combination with the violence aspect to wade into potential extremist behaviour.
“It’s the observed and sometimes sudden change in one’s behaviour, beliefs or goals as well as tolerating the use of violence to achieve those goals, that could be one of several factors that signal a shift towards extremism,” she said.
“Each instance would have to be examined on a case-by-case basis and all indicators would have to be considered in their totality.”
Discussions around radicalization come after the RCMP announced on July 8 it had laid terrorism and weapons charges against four individuals in Quebec, in relation to “ideologically motivated violent extremism,” or IMVE.
Breton said this form of extremism has four subcategories, including xenophobic violence, anti-authority violence, gender-driven violence, and other grievance-driven violence.
The RCMP said three of the accused were planning to create “anti-government militia” and have been charged with knowingly facilitating terrorist activity, an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The individuals accused are Marc-Aurèle Chabot, Simon Angers-Audet, and Raphaël Lagacé.
Chabot is an active member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Angers-Audet a former CAF member, and Lagacé is a former civilian instructor with the air force cadets. A fourth individual identified as Matthew Forbes, also an active CAF member, faces weapons charges.
The RCMP said those planning to create an anti-government militia had taken part in survival and ambush training and had conducted a scouting operation. Firearms, including some prohibited, and illegal high-capacity magazines were allegedly used in these activities, the police force said.
Noé Chartier is a senior reporter with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times. Twitter: @NChartierET