Diagolon
{{Short description|Canadian alt-right organization}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox militant organization
| name = Diagolon
| logo = Flag of Diagolon.svg{{!}}border
| caption =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| other_name =
| founding_leader = Jeremy MacKenzie
| leader =
| foundation = 2020
| dates =
| dissolved =
| merger =
| split =
| predecessor =
| merged =
| successor =
| country = Canada
| allegiance =
| motives =
| area =
| headquarters =
| newspaper =
| ideology = Right accelerationism
| position = Alt-right
| slogan = "Gun or rope"
| crimes =
| attacks =
| status =
| size =
| revenue =
| financing =
| partof =
| allies =
| opponents =
| battles =
| flag =
| website = {{url|https://web.archive.org/web/20220223051138/https://diagolon.org/|diagolon.org}} (2022 archive)
| module =
| module2 =
| module3 =
| module4 =
| module5 =
| module6 =
}}
Diagolon is a Canadian alt-right organization, conceived by podcaster Jeremy MacKenzie. The US Department of State's Bureau of Counterterrorism has called it a far-right extremist group.{{Cite web |title=Canada |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2022/canada/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=United States Department of State |language=en-US}} It was mentioned
in news coverage of the Canada convoy protest.
Organisation and aims
Diagolon is a right-wing, alt-right,{{Cite web |date=7 Oct 2022 |title=Diagolon leader Jeremy Mackenzie denied bail on Sask. assault, weapons charges |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/news/crime/diagolon-leader-jeremy-mackenzie-denied-bail-on-sask-assault-weapons-charges |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=The Star Phoenix |language=en-CA |archive-date=January 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122130012/https://thestarphoenix.com/news/crime/diagolon-leader-jeremy-mackenzie-denied-bail-on-sask-assault-weapons-charges |url-status=live }} extremist{{Cite web |last=Somos |first=Christy |date=2022-02-17 |title=What is the Diagolon extremist group and what does it want? |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/what-is-the-diagolon-extremist-group-and-what-does-it-want-1.5785646 |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=CTV News |language=en |archive-date=November 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114211944/https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/what-is-the-diagolon-extremist-group-and-what-does-it-want-1.5785646 |url-status=live }} militia network with chapters throughout Canada.{{Cite web |last=Macfarlane |first=Bill |date=2022-02-15 |title=Analysis of guns and ammunition seized near Coutts, Alta. blockade |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/analysis-of-guns-and-ammunition-seized-near-coutts-alta-blockade-1.5782983 |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=CTV News |language=en |archive-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810132135/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/analysis-of-guns-and-ammunition-seized-near-coutts-alta-blockade-1.5782983 |url-status=live }} A House of Commons of Canada report called it a "violent extremist organisation."{{Cite web |last=Levy |first=Bryn |date=28 Nov 2022 |title=Diagolon leader Jeremy Mackenzie granted bail in Saskatchewan |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/diagolon-leader-jeremy-mackenzie-granted-bail-in-saskatchewan |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=The Star Phoenix |language=en-CA |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129033030/https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/diagolon-leader-jeremy-mackenzie-granted-bail-in-saskatchewan |url-status=live }} According to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, the "neo-fascist militia"{{Cite web |last=Tran |first=Paula |date=15 Feb 2022 |title=Anti-hate experts concerned about possible neo-fascist involvement at Alberta trucker convoy {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8621125/canadian-anti-hate-network-concerned-diagolon-coutts-border-protest-diagolon/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Global News |language=en-US |archive-date=October 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002132218/https://globalnews.ca/news/8621125/canadian-anti-hate-network-concerned-diagolon-coutts-border-protest-diagolon/ |url-status=live }} believes that "a violent revolution is coming," and is an "accelerationist movement that believes a revolution is inevitable and necessary to collapse the current government system".
Diagolon associate Alex Vriend has promoted the neo-Nazi propaganda film Europa: The Last Battle in chatrooms.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Peter |date=11 Jan 2022 |title=A Holocaust Denier Is Travelling Across Canada Building Up The Country's Newest Far-Right Militia Movement |url=https://www.antihate.ca/holocaust_denier_travelling_canada_building_up_far_right_militia_diagolon_alex_vriend |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=Canadian Anti-Hate Network |language=en |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927035730/https://www.antihate.ca/holocaust_denier_travelling_canada_building_up_far_right_militia_diagolon_alex_vriend |url-status=live }} Barbara Perry, director of Ontario Tech University's Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism, described Diagolon's ambition to create a "white ethnonationalist state"{{Cite news |last=Raycraft |first=Richard |date=26 Sep 2022 |title=RCMP investigating rape threat against Pierre Poilievre's wife |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-threats-mackenzie-1.6595730 |access-date=December 3, 2022 |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202205315/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-threats-mackenzie-1.6595730 |url-status=live }} as irony poisoning to normalise hateful rhetoric through humour. The group's motto is "gun or rope".
History
The group emerged from the Plaid Army, according to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Peter |last2=Kriner |first2=Matthew |date=8 June 2022 |title=The Diagolon Movement And Militant Accelerationism |url=https://www.antihate.ca/diagolon_movement_militant_accelerationism |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=Canadian Anti-Hate Network |language=en |archive-date=September 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220903005338/https://www.antihate.ca/diagolon_movement_militant_accelerationism |url-status=live }}
The group's flag was seen at the Canada convoy protest in Ottawa.{{Cite web |last=Ho |first=Solarina |date=2022-03-01 |title=Honking, fumes and anger: Mental toll from trucker protest lingers for Ottawa residents |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/honking-fumes-and-anger-mental-toll-from-trucker-protest-lingers-for-ottawa-residents-1.5801609 |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=CTV News |language=en |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726145320/https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/honking-fumes-and-anger-mental-toll-from-trucker-protest-lingers-for-ottawa-residents-1.5801609 |url-status=live }} One piece of body armour seized along with weapons and ammunition at the property of a murder conspiracy suspect during the protest blockade of the Sweetgrass–Coutts Border Crossing reportedly had a Diagolon patch.{{Cite news |last=Grant |first=Meghan |date=17 Feb 2022 |title=Coutts arrests: new details on the men and women charged in border blockade |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/coutts-arrests-charges-border-protest-1.6354587 |access-date=December 1, 2022 |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304125827/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/coutts-arrests-charges-border-protest-1.6354587 |url-status=live }} In February 2023, Paul Rouleau described Diagolon's presence at both the Ottawa and Coutts protests as "the most troubling connection between protest locations" in his report following the Public Order Emergency Commission into the use of the Emergencies Act.{{Cite news |last=Dryden |first=Joel |last2=Grant |first2=Meghan |date=17 Feb 2023 |title=Border protests in Coutts, Alta., a 'concrete manifestation' of risk to Canada: Rouleau |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/coutts-alberta-diagolon-paul-rouleau-1.6751945 |access-date=February 21, 2023 |archive-date=February 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221230534/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/coutts-alberta-diagolon-paul-rouleau-1.6751945 |url-status=live }}
In 2022, Pierre Poilievre called Diagolon members "losers" and "dirtbags" after they suggested raping Anaida Poilievre, his wife, on a podcast. Poilievre had previously been photographed shaking hands with Jeremy MacKenzie.{{Cite web |title=Poilievre denounces Diagolon 'losers' over threat of sexual assault against his wife |url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/poilievre-denounces-diagolon-losers-over-threat-of-sexual-assault-against-his-wife |access-date=2023-04-17 |website=nationalpost |language=en-CA |archive-date=February 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208155205/https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/poilievre-denounces-diagolon-losers-over-threat-of-sexual-assault-against-his-wife |url-status=live }} Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino stated that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were "reviewing" the rape statement.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-26 |title=Poilievre denounces Diagolon 'losers' over threat of sexual assault against his wife, RCMP 'reviewing' |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/poilievre-denounces-diagolon-losers-over-threat-of-sexual-assault-against-his-wife-rcmp-reviewing-1.6084776 |access-date=2023-04-17 |website=CTVNews |language=en |archive-date=April 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417130522/https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/poilievre-denounces-diagolon-losers-over-threat-of-sexual-assault-against-his-wife-rcmp-reviewing-1.6084776 |url-status=live }} Despite this, in 2024, Poilievre was seen leaving an RV with a drawing of the Diagolon flag visible on the door while being filmed attending a convoy-style protest on the Nova Scotia–New Brunswick border. He would endorse the protest as "a good, old-fashioned Canadian tax revolt."{{cite news |last1=Tunney |first1=Catharine |date=24 April 2024 |title=Poilievre visits convoy camp, claims Trudeau is lying about 'everything' |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-trudeau-carbon-protest-alex-jones-diagolon-1.7183430 |access-date=28 April 2024 |work=CBC News}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20220223051138/https://diagolon.org/ Official website (archive)]
{{Alt-right footer}}
Category:Canadian far-right political movements
Category:Canada convoy protest
Category:Alt-right organizations
Category:Far-right politics in Canada