Just two days after the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, the Red Deer chapter of Antifa issued a mission statement, claiming they are heavily inspired by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN)..“We follow the path blazed by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, who have consistently sounded the alarm about the rise of far-right movements in Canada since 2018,” the group’s mission statement read.“Groups that harbour racism and other forms of hate speech are incompatible with our multicultural and pluralistic democracy.”This comes at a time of increased political tensions as US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night on Truth Social that he intends to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization and is calling for investigations into individuals allegedly funding the group."I am pleased to inform our many USA Patriots that I am designating Antifa, a sick, dangerous, radical left disaster, as a major terrorist organization. I will also be strongly recommending that those funding Antifa be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote.Earlier this week, he told reporters that such a designation was “something I would do,” though the legal and procedural implications of labeling Antifa a terrorist organization are unclear.The announcement comes amid growing concern about Antifa-related activity in North America..ANTIFA attempts to incite violence at Alberta Leg with anti-lockdown protestors.Speaking recently on The Bureau Podcast, Toronto lawyer and independent journalist Caryma Sa’d detailed how Antifa-aligned networks reportedly use private Discord servers to coordinate harassment campaigns and target perceived opponents.Sa’d also highlighted the CAHN — a federally funded non-governmental organization — as being linked to these efforts in Canada.She alleges that nearly $1 million in government funding, combined with CAHN’s collaboration with public safety agencies, has potentially skewed the focus of Canadian authorities, who prioritize supposed far-right threats while underestimating and overlooking violent activity from Antifa and other left-wing groups.“How I came to be interested, particularly in Antifa, is the Canadian Anti-Hate Network,” Sa’d told The Bureau.“It is an NGO that purports to document and fight against specifically far-right hate. And in having such a narrow focus, I think that has created almost a vacuum that has allowed the far left to metastasize.”Sa’d revealed she had also been targeted by Antifa, and that Canadian police have shown a reluctance to investigate what she said was “verifiable, documented” harassment. “There just doesn’t seem to be an appetite to get to the bottom of this,” she said.
