Canada puts Proud Boys on terror list

Canada named the far-right Proud Boys a terrorist entity, saying it posed an active security threat and played a “pivotal role” in last month’s attack on the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead. The group’s assets can now be frozen by banks and financial institutions, and it is a crime for Canadians to knowingly deal with assets of a listed entity. Anyone belonging to the group can be blocked from entering Canada. The Proud Boys was among 13 groups – including neo-Nazis and Islamist extremists – added last week to the nation’s terrorist list.

Class discussion: Do you think the Proud Boys is a terrorist group? Why or why not? Was it involved in the attack on the Capitol Building in Washington? Is there evidence other groups were involved in the assault? Should the Proud Boys be placed in the same group as Islamic State extremists? Will calling someone a terrorist make them more radical? Does it make any difference what a group believes if it engages in violence? Do you overlook violent actions by people if you agree with their viewpoints? Are we too eager to “fight like Hell” for “our” side?