Youth in Ottawa charged in anti-Jewish terror plot

RCMP said information provided by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service was “vital” to the investigation and arrest on Friday.

Published Dec 16, 2023 • Last updated 10 hours ago • 2 minute read

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) crest is seen on a member’s uniform, at the RCMP “D” Division Headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, July 24, 2019. (file photo) POSTMEDIA NETWORK / FILE PHOtO

The RCMP have charged a youth in Ottawa with plotting a terror attack on unnamed “Jewish persons.”

The suspect, who cannot be named under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is charged with “facilitation of a terrorist activity by communicating instructional material related to an explosive substance” and “knowingly instructing, directly or indirectly, a person to carry out a terrorist activity against Jewish persons.”

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The youth was arrested Friday in a joint operation by the federal Integrated National Security Enforcement Team with help from the Ottawa Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police and Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the RCMP said in a media release Saturday afternoon. It did not release any more information about the youth or about the alleged plot.

It said information provided by CSIS was “vital” to the investigation and arrest.

Global News reported Saturday that police dispatched a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives team to the site of the arrest.

In its release, the RCMP said it had been monitoring a “concerning trend of violent extremism and terrorist use of the Internet” in recent months and that it had arrested five youths on terrorism-related offences since June.

It urged adults — parents, teachers and coaches, for example — to be on the watch for and to report signs of radicalization among young people.

“If you have concerns that someone is considering, planning, or preparing to commit an act of violence or to help others in committing acts of terrorism, contacting your local police department would be a good first step. The sooner the better, as they may be able to help prevent someone from crossing the line into criminal actions,” police said.

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In a lengthy post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was “shocked” to learn the details of a planned attack against Ottawa’s Jewish community.

“There has been a rise in anti-semitism in Ottawa in recent weeks. I’m grateful and relieved that in this case, through strong investigative work, the (RCMP) and the (Ottawa Police Service) were able to avert this planned event before it happened,” Sutcliffe wrote. “The Ottawa Police Service will continue to patrol synagogues and other Jewish institutions. There is no place for any hatred, racism, or violence in our community. We must continue to work together and do everything possible to ensure our city is safe for everyone.”

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