Canadian Military Arrests 4 in Alleged Anti-Government Militia Plot

In a concerning development, on July 8, 2022, RCMP officers arrested four suspects, including two active members of the Canadian military, in an alleged plot to form an anti-government militia. The group had reportedly stockpiled a substantial cache of weapons, including dozens of firearms and 11,000 rounds of ammunition, as part of a plan to seize control of a piece of land near Quebec City by force.

This incident marks a troubling escalation in the ongoing battle against far-right extremism within the Canadian Forces. The military has grappled with this issue for over 30 years, with past incidents like the 1993 Somalia affair and more recent cases in the 2010s revealing the presence of neo-Nazis and white supremacists in its ranks. However, the military has often struggled to address the problem effectively, with limited disciplinary action taken against suspected extremists.

Now, three of the suspects, including one of the active military members, are facing terrorism charges, in what is believed to be the first time an active Canadian Forces member has been accused of such offenses. The scale of the weapons cache seized in this case is also among the largest ever uncovered in a Canadian terrorism investigation, underscoring the gravity of the threat.

Despite some recent efforts by the military to implement new protocols and training to combat extremism, the latest incident suggests there is still much work to be done to root out these dangerous ideologies from within the ranks. As the country grapples with this troubling development, it is clear that the Canadian Forces must redouble its efforts to address this longstanding and persistent problem.