This was eye opening to read, which I have perhaps improperly contextualized with the Alberta Blockade and "Queen" Romana Didulo, but the Canadian version of anti-vaxxers and gun rights type seem even more extreme. The RCMP investigation into a bank robbery last year in which 22 hostages were taken 6 police were injured and the suspect brothers shot, concluded, that the objective was not to steal money, but to draw police into a shootout and kill them to protest vaccine regulations and gun laws: Despite previous speculations, there was no evidence found to suggest any third party was involved. It was determined the suspects’ primary objective was to shoot and kill police officers in what they saw as a stand against government regulations, especially in relation to firearms ownership. The initial response and subsequent investigation included support from numerous police agencies, including Saanich Police Department, Victoria Police Department, multiple RCMP units such as Air Services, Major Crime Sections, Explosive Disposal Unit and the Emergency Response Team. Multiple other police units were engaged to assist with the large-scale investigation, including the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST), the E Division Integrated National Security Enforcement Team and the RCMP Behavioural Analysis Unit (BAU), totalling over 200 police officers involved in this investigation. There were 22 civilians inside the bank, who were bank employees as well as customers. Video surveillance showed the two armed suspects, clad in body armor, entered the bank at 11:02 am, prompting multiple calls to police. The suspects were inside the bank for just over 16 minutes. Surveillance footage captured them on several occasions going back to the front vestibule and looking outside before going back inside the bank. Surveillance footage also showed one suspect discharging his rifle inside the bank. The time spent in the bank and their actions made it apparent to police that the objective of the robbery was not to obtain money, but rather to generate an armed confrontation with police. RCMP in British Columbia - VIIMCU released their concluding report on the bank robbery and attempted murder of Vancouver Island police officers H/T - Insight Intelligence
I don’t know about “more extreme”, they have Queen Didulo, we had those Q nutjobs waiting in Dallas for the resurrection of JFK. They had the bridge blockade, we had nutters ransack our nations Capitol building. It’s interesting Canada has similar issues (not that it’s surprising, just as all societies have their share of mental illness and drug use, Canada is not special in that regard). I don’t think you can take anything from two individual actors and classify their extremists as “more violent” based on two individuals.
I guess where I saw it as different was the intent to kill police just to kill police. Not police that "were failing to honor their oath", etc., or the Right Winger in California that killed police to try to frame BLM and start a race war. But just to kill police. Just a thought
Also in America lots of the far-right are just actually cops themselves. The anti-government off the grid types generally aren't pro-cop though here either. I would say they are more coherently anti-cop when it comes to federal law enforcement. Most of them love local police and sheriffs, because like I said, some of them are those guys.
