2 days ago
Secret Facebook group exposes shocking racist, antisemitic extremism inside Canadian military
Canada's top military leaders are facing renewed pressure over far-right
extremism
in the ranks, following explosive revelations that soldiers participated in a secret Facebook group, "
Blue Hackle Mafia
, "allegedly filled with
racist
,
antisemitic
, misogynistic, and homophobic content.
The
Canadian Army
has now launched a disciplinary and criminal investigation, while the group's exposure is sparking international concern about how military institutions in democratic countries are handling internal radicalization.
'I am disgusted by the content of some of the posts,' Army Commander Lt.-Gen. Michael Wright wrote in a message obtained by CBC. 'This kind of behaviour is abhorrent, dangerous, and it undermines everything we stand for.'
The military police, which initially transferred the matter to a unit-level investigation, reopened a full inquiry on June 27. The Office of the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal said the new probe is ongoing.
But experts say this isn't just a disciplinary matter, it's a strategic failure with national and global consequences.
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A NATO problem?
A growing extremism problem within its armed forces not only threatens internal cohesion but may undermine joint operations, intelligence sharing, and multinational trust.
'When soldiers trained by the state are exposed to radical ideologies, it's not just a Canadian problem, it's a
NATO
security issue,' said defence analyst Leah West, a former Canadian Forces member and professor at Carleton University.
Recent history supports that concern. Former Canadian reservist Patrik Mathews was sentenced to nine years in a US federal prison for his role in a neo-Nazi plot to trigger a race war.
'White supremacist groups actively seek military-trained individuals,' a 2021 Canadian intelligence report warned, adding that some extremists enlist specifically to gain tactical skills and weapons expertise.
The 'Blue Hackle Mafia' group wasn't discovered through high-level surveillance or internal vetting. It was reported through informal complaints, suggesting that existing safeguards failed to detect and intercept the threat early.
A 2022 military advisory panel called Canada's extremism response 'siloed and inefficient,' urging faster intelligence coordination and proactive monitoring.
The
defence department
has faced years of criticism for downplaying extremism, especially in rural reserve units and remote deployments where oversight is thinner.
