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WORLD NEWS Thursday 4 February 2021
Canada designates the Proud Boys as a terrorist entity

By ROB GILLIES an escalation towards vio-
Associated Press lence for this group,” Blair
TORONTO (AP) — The Ca- said.
nadian government des- “In the aftermath of the
ignated the Proud Boys U.S. presidential election,
group as a terrorist entity on we have seen signals of es-
Wednesday, noting they calation towards violence
played a pivotal role in from a number of different
the insurrection at the U.S. groups including the Proud
Capitol on Jan. 6. Boys.” Blair said four right-
The Proud Boys have faced wing groups are among 13
increased scrutiny after additions to the list, which
seizing on the former Trump include three groups linked
administration’s policies to al-Qaida, four associ-
and was a major agitator ated with the Islamic State
during earlier protests and group and one Kashmiri or-
the Capitol riot on Jan. 6. ganization.
The Proud Boys is a far-right, “Canada will not tolerate
male chauvinist extremist ideological, religious or po-
group known for engag- litically motivated acts of
ing in violent clashes at po- violence,” Blair said.
litical rallies. Canada is the The Proud Boys were
first country to designate formed in 2016 by Cana-
them as a terrorist entity. In this Sept. 7, 2020, file photo, a protester carries a Proud Boys banner, a right-wing group, while dian Gavin McInnes, who
During a September presi- other members start to unfurl a large U.S. flag in front of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Ore. co-founded Vice Media.
dential debate, Donald Associated Press In 2018, police arrested
Trump had urged the Proud several Proud Boys mem-
Boys to “stand back and “Their intent and their es- and face harsher terror- against those they perceive bers and associates who
stand by” when asked to calation toward violence ism-related criminal penal- to be opposed to their ide- brawled with antifascists
condemn them by a mod- became quite clear,” Blair ties. A government official ology and political beliefs,” after McInnes, delivered a
erator. said. said just because they are the Canadian government speech at New York’s Met-
Senior officials speaking Asked whether the US will a member doesn’t mean said in briefing materials. ropolitan Republican Club.
on a technical briefing follow Canada and desig- they will be charged with The government calls the McInnes has described
said authorities had been nate Proud Boys as a terror- a crime, but if they do en- Proud Boys a neo-fascist or- the group as a politically
monitoring and collecting ist entity, White House press gage in violent acts they ganization with semiauton- incorrect men’s club for
evidence about the Proud secretary Jen Psaki said the could be charged with ter- omous chapters located in “Western chauvinists” and
Boys before the Capitol Hill U.S. has a domestic extrem- rorist crimes. the United States, Canada, denies affiliations with far-
insurrection, but confirmed ism review underway. “We Sending money to the or- and internationally. It said right extremist groups that
that the event provided in- will wait for that review to ganization or buying Proud it engages in political vio- overtly espouse racist and
formation that helped with conclude before we make Boys paraphernalia would lence and that members anti-Semitic views. McInnes
the decision to list the orga- any determinations,” Psaki also be a crime. espouse misogynistic, Is- sued the Southern Poverty
nization. said. “The group and its mem- lamophobic, anti-Semitic, Law Center, claiming it de-
Public Safety Minister Bill The terrorist designation in bers have openly encour- anti-immigrant, and white famed him when it desig-
Blair said they revealed Canada means the group aged, planned, and con- supremacist ideologies. nated the Proud Boys as a
themselves. may have assets seized ducted violent activities “Since 2018 we have seen “hate group.” q

North Macedonia: Women protest over online sexual harassment

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES testers gathered outside to crack down on private tacked…This has to end.” Wednesday’s protest said
Associated Press North Macedonia’s Inte- messaging groups sharing The Telegram chat group, their photographs were
SKOPJE, North Macedonia rior Ministry called on the unauthorized and often titled Public Room, was stolen from hacked social
(AP) — Hundreds of pro- government Wednesday explicit photographs and discovered last year and media accounts.
videos of women and girls. reemerged in January de- A woman who spoke at
The demonstration fol- spite assurances by au- the protest and identified
lowed revelations that thorities that its activity had herself only as Ana urged
one chat group on the been halted. authorities to introduce
encrypted platform Tele- North Macedonian Prime legislation that would re-
gram was sharing photos Minister Zoran Zaev threat- duce online sexual harass-
and videos with more than ened last week to block ment and strengthen po-
7,000 members. Some us- Telegram if it refused to lice powers.
ers posted the names and provide greater assistance “It is a high time for this to
addresses of the featured to shut down Public Room end,” she told the protest-
girls and women. and other similar groups. ers.
“We’re here because we Interior Minister Oliver Spa- “We need legislation for
don’t feel safe,” Kalia Dimi- sovski said four people this to provide a better fu-
trova, 29, a member of a were recently arrested in ture for us and generations
local human rights group, connection with the case. to come.”
Young people, wearing face masks and trying to maintain said at the protest. The minister gave no fur- Telegram could not be
distance, march during a protest through downtown Skopje, “I refuse to accept that I ther details. immediately reached for
North Macedonia, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021.
Associated Press should hide when I’m at- Several women at comment.q