En route to an announcement for a child care program with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Justin Trudeau’s vehicles were tailed by two individuals - including known white nationalist, Ryan Dean.
Peter Smith
Canadian Anti-Hate Network
Source: Twitch
During a visit to Edmonton, Alberta, on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was met with the common sight of protesters. Before arriving at the YMCA facility for an announcement, however, Trudeau’s motorcade was being followed through the streets by a long-time Canadian white nationalist.
Early on Monday morning, screenshots of the prime minister’s itinerary appeared in an encrypted chat room associated with Ryan Dean, a former member of a collection of anti-Islamic faux-biker clubs that include the Wolves of Odin, Canadian Combat Coalition (C3), the Canadian Infidels, The Clann, and more. He now runs a small “media” channel that primarily focuses on public health measures and conspiracy theories.
In a series of videos posted to the Facebook group for the media outlet, two men follow behind a column of black SUVs. Riding shotgun, Dean recorded beside the still-unidentified driver. Winding through the streets of Edmonton, by the men’s own telling they were following the prime minister’s motorcade.
The driver of the vehicle that followed the prime minister to a press conference. Source: Facebook
The pursuit lasted for over 40 minutes and Dean and the driver both commented that the convoy took multiple cuts through neighbourhoods, and other actions to allegedly lose the tail. Dean shouted updates about the streets they were on to viewers.
“We’re probably making them nervous as fuck,” Dean said when the vehicle pulled up alongside the alleged motorcade. “Don’t worry guys, we’re harmless, we just want to cause a little bit of upset for you guys.”
“We don’t want your stay to be enjoyable or comfortable,” the driver added.
After losing sight and then reconnecting with the vehicles several times, Dean and his wheelman eventually joined other protesters outside of the Boyle Street Plaza YMCA of Northern Alberta.
The prime minister was doing a press conference at the time, announcing a five-year $3.8 billion childcare program with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. On the same day a province-wide policy went into place only accepting QR codes as valid proof of vaccination.
Also in attendance was a series of other figures often appearing at Alberta’s COVID- conspiracy protests. These include the conspiratorial hairdresser Misty Wind, Chris “Sky” Saccoccia -- who faces charges for threatening Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Jenny Saccoccia, Zeeshan “Dr. Zee” Ahmed, and a crowd of about a dozen more. Regardless of the actual intention of the press conference, the protesters banged on the windows and doors.
Repeatedly calling Trudeau a pedophile, Dean and others did not acquiesce, even when two young children stepped into the hallway on the other side of the windows. Staff attempted to cover the windows but were unable to fully block the commotion outside during the announcement. Ultimately, the event wound down without further incident when the protesters moved in front of the building to attempt to confront Kenney and Trudeau.
When reached for comment by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network by direct message, Ryan Dean refused to comment on the allegations directly, and instead made multiple hateful references to the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Beyond some apparent shoving between police and the small crowd, only harsh words were able to reach the politicians.
Multiple other actions were held in the evening, including outside of a local radio station.
Dean has been a long-time participant in a number of hate groups and public stunts meant to gain attention.
Most notably, Dean appeared outside Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton with Tyson Hunt -- an individual who has enjoyed multiple similar affiliations with other noted hate groups -- as members of the Clann, to harass patrons. During a similar visit in January 2019, Hunt went inside the building during a religious service.
Groups like this often form street patrols to make their presence known in the community, bolster recruitment, and intimidate detractors. In this case, however, the mosque was targeted deliberately by the Clann. According to ARC Collective, the Clann was an amalgam of the Wolves of Odin (formerly the Soldiers of Odin), Dean’s Patriot Pride Canada, Canadian Infidels, and Odin's Heathens.
Kurt Phillips, who formerly operated the ARC Collective website, is a board member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.
After the incident at the mosque, Dean also admitted to The Star that he was behind a post on a “patriot” website accusing a queer-focused gym in Edmonton of being an “Antifa Far-Left Terrorism” training compound. Going as far as to include the name of a trainer at the gym, he told the star this was in response to activists putting up posters in the city identifying him as a “danger to the public.”
Justin Trudeau and Jason Kenney did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. We will update accordingly.
In Calgary, organizer Mahmoud Mourra handed the microphone to a young child, who told the crowd that gay people are “psychopaths” and “disgusting.”
After being accused of pointing a firearm at one individual and assaulting another, MacKenzie has agreed to a peace bond in exchange for a staying of the charges.