Admittedly, Ottawa PS does have some unique issues that other cities don't face by virtue of the presence of the federal government, but my understanding is they are financially compensated for that.
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RCMP is increasing police presence in Richmound
CBC News · Posted: Oct 06, 2023 5:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: 43 minutes ago
Romana Didulo and her cult made their way to the village of Richmound, Sask., on Sept. 15, and have been staying at the former Richmound School after being invited by the property owner. It is blocked off to the public. (CBC)
An extremist cult leader and her followers have set up camp in a small Saskatchewan village, 83 kilometres northwest of Maple Creek, near the Alberta border. The group has called for public execution of elected officials and other members in and around the community.
Romana Didulo is known as a far-right QAnon conspiracy theorist. She has declared herself the "Queen of Canada," among other titles including the national Indigenous leader.
She has amassed thousands of followers by pushing conspiracy theories and what she calls decrees through social media, particularly Telegram — a messaging app that has grown in popularity with the far right.
Didulo and some of her followers, who call themselves the 'Kingdom of Canada,' have been travelling around the country for some time. On Sept. 13, they were forced out of Kamsack, Sask., by the townspeople.
The cult then made its way to the village of Richmound on Sept. 15, and has been staying at the former Richmound School, having been invited by the property owner.
Richmound Mayor Brad Miller said village residents do not feel safe with them there.
"It's been escalating and the people are getting more and more tired of this, more mental health [concerns], more scared," Miller said.
Thomas Fougere of Community TV, a local independent news outlet based in Medicine Hat, Alta., has been covering the cult's presence in Richmound. He said the people there are nervous about the group's extreme beliefs, their behaviour and their potential impact on the children in the village.
Richmound Mayor Brad Miller said village residents do not feel safe with Romana Didulo and her followers there. (CBC)
The playground, which is near the school, is closed to children to avoid the possibility of a child being confronted.
On Sept. 24, after taking note of Kamsack's success in driving Didulo and her followers out of town, Richmound villagers protested with signs — parading their cars near the school, honking their horns and calling for the cult to leave.
"The people who were inside the school compound line, all of them were very agitated," said Fougere of Didulo's followers.
Cease and desist notice
On Monday, followers of Didulo sent village administration at least four "cease and desist" emails, according to Miller. The notice was also posted to Telegram and shared across other social media platforms.
It addressed the mayor, village councillors, members of the fire department, RCMP members, Fougere and a school teacher — all by name — accusing them of corruption, bullying, and stalking, and calling these behaviours "dangerous," "illegal" and "immoral."
In her letters and online postings Romana Didulo claims to be the 'sovereign of the republic of Canada." She and her followers are currently living at an old school in Richmound, Sask. (Bitchute)
In the letter, the cult threatened that if the village did not follow the decrees of the "queen," they would receive judgment and "if found guilty of 'crimes against humanity' or 'treason,' would face "publicly broadcast execution upon yourselves, and undeserved devastation upon your children, grandchildren and families."
"Be forwarned and prepared. WTP (We the People) now are watching you with open eyes. The curtain is drawn … Your future is in your hands," read the post.
Miller said a village council meeting was called shortly after this letter went out.
"We were all disgusted and scared," said Miller.
"It's got everybody on their toes. People are just staying in their houses more. Their heads are on 360, they're swiveling."
Provincial response, RCMP presence
Richmound alerted Cypress Hills MLA Doug Steele about the situation.
In an emailed statement to CBC News on Thursday, Steele said, "While the Government of Saskatchewan does not direct police in their daily operations or enforcement activities, I am confident the RCMP will take appropriate action in accordance with The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to prevent, investigate and maintain order involving federal, provincial, and municipal law in the village of Richmound."
The village of Richmound blocked off this playground, which is close to the school where the 'Kingdom of Canada' cult is staying. Independent journalist Thomas Fougere says a man connected to the cult recently took down the tape. (Submitted by Thomas Fougere)
On Friday, Chief Supt. Tyler Bates of the RCMP's south district management team said officers are currently investigating the threatening online post and emails. He said he cannot provide any further details at this time, but that Richmound will see an increase in police presence.
"We're monitoring very closely the commentaries [and] the activities of the group to gauge whether or not there's aspects of criminality with respect to their activities," Bates said.
He warned that all citizens must follow the same rules and laws, even if they feel threatened.
"We're certainly wanting to make sure that this situation is de-escalated, that there doesn't continue to be emotions that risk spilling over into criminal conduct."
As for the emailed and online threats, Bates said it is a complex situation that requires a lot of assessment and expertise.
"To threaten personal harm to another individual is certainly within the realm of criminality. But all of that said, there's lots of investigation that goes into an indirect threat. There's lots of investigation that goes into cyber comments as opposed to direct face-to-face interactions."
When asked Wednesday about the situation in Richmound, Premier Scott Moe said the Ministry of Justice would be discussing the issue on Friday.
"[They] most certainly will provide, I think, the community some advice and some options on how they can ultimately protect the serenity of their community. And the government will support that," Moe said.
Barriers have been set up around the former school where the 'Kingdom of Canada' cult is staying. The school is private property. (CBC)
Taking threats seriously
Local journalist Fougere told CBC he does not believe the cult will actually execute him, but said being named in the threatening emails and online posts is still concerning.
"I don't know who's reading this stuff. I don't know what kind of mental state they're in. I don't know if they're currently in a vehicle heading toward Richmound, Saskatchewan, with a bunch of firearms. There's a lot of unknowns. It makes me feel a little bit nervous. It makes me feel a little sick," Fougere said.
Dr. Christine Sarteschi, a professor of social work and criminology at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been following the movement of the "Queen of Canada" for years.
"They seem to feel that the people of Richmound were attacking the queen and that she's in danger," Sarteschi said.
Christine Sarteschi is an associate professor of social work and criminology at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. She has been tracking the spread of the sovereign citizen movement. (Dan Taekema/CBC)
She said this reaction is exaggerated, which is par for the course when it comes to the "queen" and her followers. Sarteschi said the cult has made similar "public execution" threats before, and to her knowledge have never actually carried out violence. But she said that does not mean threats against the people of Richmound should not be taken seriously.
"We don't know what they're capable of, but they're very active," said Sarteschi.
"People are being threatened. Their kids and their grandchildren are being threatened in this. We should not ignore it. We don't know what their intentions are."
Sarteschi estimates there are currently up to 12 followers with Didulo in Richmound. They are holding a meet and greet for followers and possible new recruits on Oct. 14, which Sarteschi said is cause for concern.
www.bbc.com
A QAnon 'queen' and the Canada town that wants her gone
- Published
- 27 September
Image source, Telegram![Romana Didulo wearing black cap with word securityin white, holding up index finger.\](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/96D8/production/_131261683_romana4.png "Romana Didulo wearing black cap with word securityin white, holding up index finger.\")
Image caption,
Romana Didulo and her followers have been traveling around Canada for years - until now
By Mike Wendling
BBC News
She claims to be the Queen of Canada, and now she's holding court in an abandoned school.
Romana Didulo, a QAnon-inspired conspiracy theorist, leads a group of supporters who have spent the last few years traveling around Canada in motorhomes and other vehicles.
Recently, the group moved into Richmound, a village of around 150 people in south-western Saskatchewan, and settled in at a former school.
Ms Didulo and around 15 to 25 of her followers have been at the site for about a week, says Thomas Fougere of Community TV, a local independent news outlet based in nearby Medicine Hat.
Soon after their arrival, the neighbours began pushing them to leave.
Around 100 local residents drove around the school on Sunday in tractors, semi-trucks and other vehicles, trying to drive out the incomers, according to Mr Fougere.
"It's the only place in the village where there's a playground and where kids can safely ride their bikes away from the highway," he said. "It's become a high tension situation. The town doesn't want them."
A self-styled 'Queen of Canada'
Ms Didulo, 48, emigrated from the Philippines to Canada as a teenager. She set up several businesses before forming a fringe political party in 2020.
Following endorsements from QAnon leaders, she built up a band of followers, declared that she had overthrown the legitimate government of Canada, and says her claim to the "Queen of Canada" title is backed by secret, powerful US military interests.
Image source, Community TV / ComTV.ca
Image caption,
A truck from Sunday's protest, where Richmound residents attempted to drive out followers of Ms Didulo from an abandoned school.
On her most popular Telegram channel she has issued "decrees" to absolve her more than 36,000 followers from bills and debts.
That has resulted in followers losing their homes, cars and possessions, says Christine Sarteschi, a professor at Chatham University in Pittsburgh and an expert on extremism and the sovereign citizen movement - a broad collection of anti-government groups who dodge taxes and make up their own fake legal systems.
Ms Didulo and her followers spread a variety of different beliefs, including sovereign citizen, anti-vaccination conspiracies, and ideas related to QAnon - a wide-ranging, completely unfounded theory that says former US President Donald Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles in government, business and the media.
Image source, Community TV / ComTV.ca
Image caption,
Part of Sunday's protest against the camp inside the school
While QAnon's spurious narratives revolve around US figures, the theory has taken hold in some parts of Canada and the rest of the world.
Ms Didulo's group participated in the "Freedom Convoy" protests in Ottawa in 2022, and last year attempted to arrest police officers in Peterborough, Ontario, accusing them of "crimes against humanity".
Six of Ms Didulo's followers were arrested instead.
Ms Didulo also frequently calls for violence against those administering Covid vaccines to children, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
"She's the ultimate anti-government person," Ms Sarteschi said, noting that Ms Didulo regularly threatens to execute her opponents.
"This is not a harmless cult."
Image source, Community TV / ComTV.ca
Image caption,
Thomas Fougere of Community TV reporting from outside the school while two followers of Ms Didulo, standing on the roof, look on
Mr Fougere, the journalist, says he's received threats since reporting on the group.
Messages to Ms Didulo and her supporters went unanswered on Tuesday.
Staying put in Richmound
The group has been in Saskatchewan for at least several weeks. Earlier this month they were chased out of Kamsack, a small town on the other side of the province, by hundreds of local residents.
Now it appears the group is making plans to stay put in Richmound.
It is seeking plumbers and tradespeople to come volunteer for building projects, Mr Fougere said. Followers not currently at the school are posting on Telegram about their plans to travel to the area in mid-October.
"The last few years they've just been traveling around Canada and stopping at campsites," said the journalist "This is the first time they've been presented with access to a building like this."
Richmound may not be able to do much officially about it.
Image source, Community TV / ComTV.ca
Image caption,
Tractors, trucks and other vehicles protest in Richmound, driving around the school and frequently honking.
The school and surrounding land were sold by the government and are now in the hands of a private owner, complicating efforts to move the group.
Brad Miller, the mayor of Richmound, told local news outlets that residents were monitoring the situation, and that it appears the group hasn't done anything illegal in the village.
Richmound officials did not respond to interview requests from BBC News.
In a statement, Saskatchewan police said an investigation is ongoing into a reported assault at Sunday's protest, but that no injuries or arrests were reported.
Ms Sarteschi, the extremism expert, said the group is much more serious than their outlandish beliefs make them appear.
"Too often, these kinds of things are ignored until something bad happens," she said. "I don't know how this ends... I don't know if anything horrible will happen, but I pray that it doesn't."
and some become politicians. One of the NDP candidates here in North Van, was certifiable, but in a harmless way.
I’ve been casually following the Didulo thing for the past year or so. This is a cult, and she’s nuttier than squirrel shit. It’s a classic cult grifter dynamic where she sucks a bunch of people in, collects donations, rips them off, etc.In WTF file for the various QAnon types that had attached themselves to the Freedom Convoy, now from the 'Queen of Canada', who you may remember from trying to take over Peterborough or having a manifesto to have the GoC arrested and replaced by a self appointed mob leads.
Curious where the funding is coming from, as they seem to move around like locusts.
Cult of self-proclaimed 'Queen of Canada' threatens Sask. village with public executions
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sask...sask-village-with-public-executions-1.6988680
Previously the town was protesting her being there, which even made the BBC;
A QAnon 'queen' and the Canada town that wants her gone
Romana Didulo and her band of followers have hunkered down in a rural Canadian village.
Been following this nonsense on Twitter...I guess when you hear something you'd like to hear such as "You don't have to pay (whatever exorbitant price your mortgage is) monthly or your income taxes are illegal so you don't have to pay them", I'd almost think about it for a sec or two.
Well, I'm sure if someone took the time to go back through social medial posts, particularly speeches from the creature itself, they will likely find some of those threats on video - if that's the case, I think that would be the culprit...
Gotcha - so a judge might frown on me smacking someone's larynx if one of them presented me a letter threatening me if I didn't stop giving needles then?
Unlikely to be an issue these days, as I don't work anywhere they tend to go to...in fact they'd likely be run out of town where I work without assistance of the local RCMP. Or they might find their motorhome converted into a U-Boat...
I take the residents of the lovely Island Lake Rezes would not welcome them with open arms? How tragic.....
I'd pop some popcorn and grab a chair and watch...
She claims to have already overthrown the government of Canada, has usurped the title of Queen of Canada (which is also fraud), and is threatening to execute people who do not comply with her. I don’t know what more of a case for sedition you would need.
It would be entertaining but I am guessing your skills might be needed.
Might have to stop laughing to do anything useful though...extreme FAFO...
