White supremacist rhetoric that once belonged to the fringe of Canadian society has been on full display at several recent protests and rallies. 

ISD Digital Research Analyst Steven Rai joined TVO Today to discuss the driving forces behind the spread of white nationalism in Canada. Speaking on the panel, Steven highlighted ISD research on South Asian hate in Canada, and the dangerous interplay between online and offline dynamics. 

“We’ve seen an alarming rise in hate speech directed towards different populations in Canada, which often correlates with pretty dramatic increases in offline hate crimes,” he explained. 

Speaking on the evolution of Active Clubs in Canada, Steven noted their recent street mobilisation and how this indicates extremists are becoming more comfortable making their presence known. With this in mind, he highlighted the importance of closely monitoring the rise of extremist hate in Canada.

“We really need to adopt a proactive posture in trying to clamp down on some of this extremism we’re seeing in society before it spirals out of hand,” he said. 

The full program is available on TVO Today’s YouTube channel.