I know the admins have a room to hash this stuff out. I also know we have a ‘Muslim’ edition of this thread too; I think a couple of the past few pages can probably be moved or split.
Aaaanyway, lots of interesting discussion. I guess from my perspective I’d be interested to know if we’re concerned about writing history or writing Ops plans.
On the occasions where my employer feels it necessary to yank me from behind my desk to throw me out on the road and pretending I’m a real cop again, there are a few things I worry a bit more or a bit less about.
If the ‘far left’ is out in numbers, (which in our context is generally gonna be what could loosely be described as people who identify with antifa, black bloc, etc, I’ll worry that some windows are gonna get smashed and I might be getting some piss bottles thrown at me.
If my fear is a vehicle trying to become one with a crowd, or an active shooter, trends in radical violence suggest the greatest likelihood will be someone of a radicalized Islamist bent (Islamist versus merely being Muslim), or potentially a far right radical (this iverlaps, or someone of the ‘incel’ persuasion who is displeased with women not being attracted to his casual misogyny. These last few categories will likely have some overlap, probably an angry, young, single man who feels he is not where he should be romantically, socially, or economically.
In terms of formed plots with more than one perpetrator, with some sort of violent and ideological intent including loss of human life, odds are very good that you’re looking at either some hard right anti-government types, or radical islamists... the latter can overlap with the lone actors. Daesh’s ideology is still a threat.
The things that have actually happened in Canada recently lean heavily hard right / incel/anti Muslim. Minassian wanted to slaughter women. Bossi eye wanted to slaughter Muslims. Burden intended harm to the Prime Minister. Patrick Matthews, though he did his stupidity on the other side of the border, is hard right. Parliament Hill and Quebec were both radical islamist ideology, though also mentally ill lone Wolf actors. Similarly, the guy who went rogue in a U haul in Edmonton after stabbing a cop.
Canada does not have one universally applicable definition of ‘terrorism’. The Criminal Code defines it quite specifically, and to get those charges tight elements must be hit. A case may be factually, politically, and academically terrorism, but the evidence to achieve a viable prosecution either may not exist, may not be accessible (e.g., encrypted communications) or may not be admissible in court (e.g., national security intelligence). It’s a hell of a lot easier to write a search warrant for straight murder than for terrorism. In these cases, such mundane charges as ‘uttering threats’ and ‘murder’ may need to suffice, judicially. They may not suffice politically, but the latter system can only go so far in pushing the former. In this latest case, we’ll see if police have what they need.