Diagolon

Diagolon
Founding leaderJeremy MacKenzie
Foundation2020
CountryCanada
IdeologyAccelerationism
Political positionAlt-right
Slogan"Gun or rope"
Websitediagolon.org (2022 archive)

Diagolon is a Canadian alt-right organization, conceived by podcaster Jeremy MacKenzie. The US Department of State's Bureau of Counterterrorism has called it a far-right extremist group.[1] It was mentioned in news coverage of the Canada convoy protest.

Organisation and aims

Diagolon is a right-wing,[2] alt-right,[3] extremist[4] militia network with chapters throughout Canada.[2] A House of Commons of Canada report called it a "violent extremist organisation."[5] According to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, the "neo-fascist militia"[6] believes that "a violent revolution is coming,"[2] and is an "accelerationist movement that believes a revolution is inevitable and necessary to collapse the current government system".[6]

Diagolon associate Alex Vriend has promoted the neo-Nazi propaganda film Europa: The Last Battle in chatrooms.[7] Barbara Perry, director of Ontario Tech University's Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism, described Diagolon's ambition to create a "white ethnonationalist state"[8] as irony poisoning to normalise hateful rhetoric through humour.[4] The group's motto is "gun or rope".[7]

History

The group emerged from the Plaid Army, according to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.[9]

The group's flag was seen at the Canada convoy protest in Ottawa.[10] One piece of body armour seized along with weapons and ammunition at the property of a murder conspiracy suspect during the protest blockade of the Sweetgrass–Coutts Border Crossing reportedly had a Diagolon patch.[11][2] In February 2023, Paul Rouleau described Diagolon's presence at both the Ottawa and Coutts protests as "the most troubling connection between protest locations" in his report following the Public Order Emergency Commission into the use of the Emergencies Act.[12]

In 2022, Pierre Poilievre called Diagolon members "losers" and "dirtbags" after they suggested raping Anaida Poilievre, his wife, on a podcast. Poilievre had previously been photographed shaking hands with Jeremy MacKenzie.[13] Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino stated that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were "reviewing" the rape statement.[14] Despite this, in 2024, Poilievre was seen leaving an RV with a drawing of the Diagolon flag visible on the door while being filmed attending a convoy-style protest on the Nova Scotia–New Brunswick border. He would endorse the protest as "a good, old-fashioned Canadian tax revolt."[15]

References

  1. ^ "Canada". United States Department of State. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Macfarlane, Bill (February 15, 2022). "Analysis of guns and ammunition seized near Coutts, Alta. blockade". CTV News. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  3. ^ "Diagolon leader Jeremy Mackenzie denied bail on Sask. assault, weapons charges". The Star Phoenix. October 7, 2022. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Somos, Christy (February 17, 2022). "What is the Diagolon extremist group and what does it want?". CTV News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  5. ^ Levy, Bryn (November 28, 2022). "Diagolon leader Jeremy Mackenzie granted bail in Saskatchewan". The Star Phoenix. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Tran, Paula (February 15, 2022). "Anti-hate experts concerned about possible neo-fascist involvement at Alberta trucker convoy | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Smith, Peter (January 11, 2022). "A Holocaust Denier Is Travelling Across Canada Building Up The Country's Newest Far-Right Militia Movement". Canadian Anti-Hate Network. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  8. ^ Raycraft, Richard (September 26, 2022). "RCMP investigating rape threat against Pierre Poilievre's wife". CBC News. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  9. ^ Smith, Peter; Kriner, Matthew (June 8, 2022). "The Diagolon Movement And Militant Accelerationism". Canadian Anti-Hate Network. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  10. ^ Ho, Solarina (March 1, 2022). "Honking, fumes and anger: Mental toll from trucker protest lingers for Ottawa residents". CTV News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  11. ^ Grant, Meghan (February 17, 2022). "Coutts arrests: new details on the men and women charged in border blockade". CBC News. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  12. ^ Dryden, Joel; Grant, Meghan (February 17, 2023). "Border protests in Coutts, Alta., a 'concrete manifestation' of risk to Canada: Rouleau". CBC News. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  13. ^ "Poilievre denounces Diagolon 'losers' over threat of sexual assault against his wife". nationalpost. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "Poilievre denounces Diagolon 'losers' over threat of sexual assault against his wife, RCMP 'reviewing'". CTVNews. September 26, 2022. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  15. ^ Tunney, Catharine (April 24, 2024). "Poilievre visits convoy camp, claims Trudeau is lying about 'everything'". CBC News. Retrieved April 28, 2024.