Progress Alberta Executive Director Duncan Kinney — charged with allegedly vandalizing a Ukrainian statue in Edmonton — pleaded not guilty..Kinney founded Progress Alberta in 2016. The primary role of the organization is running far-left media outlet the Progress Report. . defacedstatueThe Roman Shukhevych statue at the Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex, 9615 153 Ave., in Edmonton. Duncan Kinney, 39, has been charged for the August 2021 incident. .Kinney, 39, faces one count of mischief under $5,000 in connection to the August 2021 incident..On Thursday in Edmonton provincial court, Kinney’s legal counsel entered pleas of not guilty to three counts of mischief and elected he be tried by a judge and jury in the Court of King’s Bench..Kinney works for Progress Alberta, a far-left activist media platform reporting on political and social movement news in Alberta..In August, the words “Actual Nazi” were tagged in red spray paint on the base of the Roman Shukhevych statue.. Kinney's storyKinney's story .Roman Shukhevych was commander of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army from 1943 until he died in 1950. The statue has been in place at the Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex in Edmonton since the 1970s. Shukhevych's statue commends his fight for Ukrainian independence against Poland, the Soviet Union, and Germany..On Aug. 10, 2021, Kinney wrote a story about how "an unknown person or persons" defaced the statue of "an infamous Ukrainian Nazi collaborator," who "has once again been defaced with red paint.".He also wrote about another Ukrainian statute that had also been defaced that day.."An unknown person or persons painted the words 'Nazi monument' and '14th Waffen SS' on the latter monument, which is housed at the St. Michael's cemetery on the north side of the city. Shukhevych's statue was painted with the words 'actual Nazi,'" Kinney wrote in his article.."It’s unclear when this happened, but pictures of both defaced monuments were sent to the Progress Report on Aug. 10, 2021," Kinney claimed in his article.."When the Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex, who maintain the Shukhevych statue, were contacted about the statue being defaced they replied by referencing a statement they provided to the Progress Report in July, 2020 on the matter, asserting that their position had not changed," Kinney wrote.."In that statement they denied that Shukhevych committed war crimes, claiming the evidence of this was fabricated by the KGB. They referenced his 'heroic' leadership of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army against Nazi and Soviet rule and that he died in battle against Soviet operatives in 1950.".Kinney was only charged in relation to the incident at 96 Street and 153 Avenue, or the youth centre, a EPS spokesperson said..When asked by the Western Standard if he had a comment, Kinney replied: "No I do not, have a lovely day," Kinney said..Kinney’s next in court date is May 12. Dates for trial have not been set.
