A teenager from the Quebec City region has been charged with an offence related to terrorism.
According to a statement released by the RCMP on Thursday, the youth allegedly utilized social media platforms to advocate for the violent beliefs associated with a group called Atomwaffen Division.
He is suspected of creating and sharing online content aimed at motivating and recruiting individuals.
Atomwaffen Division, an international neo-Nazi organization, was established in the United States in 2013 and was designated as a terrorist entity by the Canadian government in 2021.
The group claims to draw inspiration from the serial killer Charles Manson and asserts that history will culminate in a race war.
Evan Balgord, the executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, characterizes it as a militant accelerationist organization. He notes that its members can often be quite young.
“They believe they can employ violence and terrorism to expedite what they perceive as an impending collapse of the government,” he stated.
“They hold the conviction that from the ensuing chaos, a better state could be established for the white race.”
According to Balgord, the group initially arose from a forum called Iron March, which is no longer operational. He describes this forum as “one of the most notorious places on the internet” for self-identifying fascists and neo-Nazis.
In 2024, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network identified five individuals claiming to be teenagers in the Quebec area promoting what they referred to as Atomwaffen Canada, says Balgord. However, no confirmed link exists between these individuals and the current legal case.
The RCMP has confirmed that it lacks information pertaining to these individuals.
On Thursday, Erique Gasse of the RCMP confirmed that the charged teen cannot be identified publicly due to his minor status. He was taken into custody in September 2024.
Gasse informed CBC News that investigators interrogated the minor, who had his electronic devices confiscated. He has since been released on the condition to appear in court.
The charges include participation in the activities of a terrorist organization, and he is expected to appear in court on Friday in Quebec City.
In 2022, approximately 60 RCMP officers executed raids to the southwest of Quebec City targeting individuals associated with the Atomwaffen Division.