Canada’s intelligence agency chief has suggested potential threats exists toward Pride events in the country but no one at the Vancouver Pride Society (VPS) is commenting.
Canadian Security and Intelligence Service director David Vigneault told an audience at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg Dec. 11 that his agency is “concerned about the sharp uptick in hate crimes across Canada, and the marked increase in terrorist and violent extremist threats and rhetoric from extremist actors, many of whom are consuming toxic media online, becoming radicalized and may mobilize quickly to violence,” he said.
Then, he added, “We are concerned about hate-fuelled marches colliding with Pride celebrations.”
Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said she had checked with the planning section on the issue.
“At this point, there is no known threat. We will continue to assess and work with our partners in the community as Pride approaches,” she said.
The text of the speech was posted online Jan. 17.
Glacier Media has reached out repeatedly to website-listed VPS co-chairs Justin Khan and Michelle Fortin and its communications staff to see if any such concerns have been addressed to them.
Only Fortin responded.
“I'm no longer the media contact with Vancouver Pride as my term has expired,” she said. “I've forwarded on to the team.”
No one got back to Glacier Media by time of publication.
