Jeremy MacKenzie (activist) explained

Birth Date:1985 or 1986
Nationality:Canadian
Occupation:Podcaster, military veteran
Organization:Diagolon, Plaid Army
Known For:Far-right politics, protesting

Jeremy Mitchell MacKenzie (born 1985 or 1986) is a Canadian right-wing activist, military veteran, Plaid Army podcaster, the founder of far-right group Diagolon,[1] and a Canada convoy protester.

Interests and views

Jeremy Mitchell MacKenzie[2] is a right-wing activist[3] who created the alt-right group[4] Diagolon.[5] He is a firearms enthusiast and a Plaid Army[6] podcaster.[7]

MacKenzie has stated that there is a race war occurring in the US, and described the Nuremberg Trials as a kangaroo court.[8] [9]

Career

MacKenzie joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2003 and worked as infantryman for the Royal Canadian Regiment, which included a deployment in Afghanistan.[10] He left the army in 2017 with the rank of master corporal.[11]

MacKenzie is present on many social media platforms where he uses variations of the username Raging Dissident.[12]

Canada convoy protest

See main article: Canada convoy protest. In early 2022, MacKenzie took part in the Canada convoy protest.[13] In February 2022, he was identified by Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino as a national security risk; Mendicino also identified MacKenzie's Diagolon organization as "a far right extreme organization." MacKenzie and his lawyer Sherif Foda said the official description relied too heavily on what they described as misinformation from the Canadian Anti Hate Network.

While giving evidence at the subsequent Public Order Emergency Commission, MacKenzie downplayed his connections to Chris Lysak, one of the men accused of plotting to kill police officers at the 2022 highway blockage near Coutts, Alberta. MacKenzie's lawyer had requested that MacKenzie be allowed to testify in private.[14] Commissioner Paul Rouleau rejected evidence presented by MacKenzie that downplayed the role of Diagolon at the protest and described Diagolon's presence at both the Ottawa and Coutts protests as "the most troubling connection between protest locations" in his concluding report.[15]

Allegations and arrest

In January 2022, MacKenzie was charged with thirteen firearms-related offences.[16]

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for MacKenzie in July 2022, and he was arrested on September 29, 2022 in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.[17] MacKenzie was charged with crimes in three provinces, including Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. His charges include: criminal harassment, uttering threats, assault, pointing a firearm at someone, and ten counts of possessing restricted firearms and prohibited magazines. He was denied bail on October 7, 2022.[18] MacKenzie fired his lawyer on October 13, 2022.[19] After being held in Saskatoon Provincial Correctional Centre,[20] bail was set at $10,000, on November 25, 2022.[21]

On May 31, 2023 MacKenzie did not enter a plea to harassing Nova Scotia's chief medical officer, Robert Strang, as the court case was delayed to enable more evidence to be disclosed. In late August 2023, all Saskatchewan-related charges against MacKenzie were dropped. MacKenzie was given a 12-month peace bond, preventing him from naming complainants in the matter. Some Nova Scotia charges were also dropped, although in late August 2023, charges relating to events in Quebec and Nova Scotia remained untested in court. On June 7, 2024 provincial court Judge Jill Hartlen dismissed the harassment charges against MacKenzie and his wife Morgan Guptill, ruling that "the time between arrest and trial violates the 18-month ceiling set by the Supreme Court of Canada".[22]

MacKenzie made racist comments and discussed raping Anaida Poilievre (wife of Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre) with podcast guest with Alex Vriend, prompting Poilievre to ask the RCMP to investigate.[23] [10] An RCMP investigation was ongoing as of October 2022.

In June 2024, sasktoday.ca reported that charges in all provinces against MacKenzie had been stayed or withdrawn.[24]

Personal life

MacKenzie was 36 in 2022. He moved to Pictou, Nova Scotia in December 2021.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Smith . Peter . Kriner . Matthew . 8 June 2022 . The Diagolon Movement And Militant Accelerationism . 2024-07-01 . . en . September 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220903005338/https://www.antihate.ca/diagolon_movement_militant_accelerationism . live .
  2. Web site: Case set over for pair charged with harassment of Nova Scotia's top doctor - Halifax Globalnews.ca . 2023-05-31 . Global News . en-US . May 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230531235027/https://globalnews.ca/news/8882864/harrassment-ns-top-doctor-charges/ . live .
  3. Web site: Ballingall . Alex . 2022-09-26 . Right-wing activist says he meant no harm with 'joke' about raping Pierre Poilievre's wife The Star . . 2023-02-19 . September 26, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220926221644/https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2022/09/26/right-wing-activist-says-he-meant-no-harm-with-joke-about-raping-pierre-poilievres-wife.html . bot: unknown .
  4. Web site: Diagolon leader Jeremy Mackenzie denied bail on Sask. assault, weapons charges . 2022-12-03 . thestarphoenix . en-CA . January 22, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230122130012/https://thestarphoenix.com/news/crime/diagolon-leader-jeremy-mackenzie-denied-bail-on-sask-assault-weapons-charges . live .
  5. Web site: Fraser . David . Osman . Laura . 2022-11-04 . 'Freedom Convoy' leader challenged over assertion the protest was never told to leave . 2022-11-06 . CTVNews . en . November 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221106155428/https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/freedom-convoy-leader-challenged-over-assertion-the-protest-was-never-told-to-leave-1.6138751 . live .
  6. Web site: 2022-02-18 . Mayhem in Ottawa: Police push through the line and start hauling vaccine-mandate protesters away . 2022-11-08 . The Georgia Straight . en . November 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221108205626/https://www.straight.com/news/mayhem-in-ottawa-police-push-through-line-and-start-hauling-vaccine-mandate-protesters-away . live .
  7. Web site: Connolly . Amanda . 26 Sep 2022 . Poilievre denounces 'abuse' against wife allegedly from Diagolon founder who shook his hand - National Globalnews.ca . 2022-11-06 . Global News . en-US . November 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221106155432/https://globalnews.ca/news/9155887/pierre-poilievre-denounces-abuse-against-wife/ . live .
  8. Web site: Smith . Charlie . 2022-02-16 . Raging Dissident Jeremy MacKenzie's pal Chris Lysak charged with conspiracy to commit murder . 2022-11-08 . The Georgia Straight . en . November 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221108203926/https://www.straight.com/covid-19-pandemic/news/raging-dissident-jeremy-mackenzies-pal-chris-lysak-charged-with-conspiracy-to-commit-murder . live .
  9. Web site: 2022-02-07 . Plaid Army vlogger Jeremy MacKenzie claims that the Mounties are planning mass arrests of Ottawa protesters . 2022-11-08 . The Georgia Straight . en . November 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221108203556/https://www.straight.com/covid-19-pandemic/news/plaid-army-vlogger-jeremy-mackenzie-claims-that-mounties-are-planning-mass-arrests-of-ottawa . live .
  10. News: Raycraft . Richard . 26 Sep 2022 . RCMP investigating rape threat against Pierre Poilievre's wife . CBC . December 2, 2022 . December 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221202205315/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-threats-mackenzie-1.6595730 . live .
  11. Web site: 2023-09-01 . Sask., N. S. charges dropped against army vet who created 'Diagolon' . 2023-09-01 . SaskToday.ca . en.
  12. Web site: 2022-02-17 . What is the Diagolon extremist group and what does it want? . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221114211944/https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/what-is-the-diagolon-extremist-group-and-what-does-it-want-1.5785646 . November 14, 2022 . 2022-11-08 . CTVNews . en.
  13. News: McLeod . Marsha . Dickson . Janice . Walsh . Marieke . 2022-11-04 . Creator of far-right, anti-government group testifies that he received police information during convoy protests . en-CA . The Globe and Mail . 2022-11-06 . November 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221106155426/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-creator-of-far-right-anti-government-group-testifies-that-he-received/ . live .
  14. Web site: 2022-10-31 . 'Diagolon' founder Jeremy MacKenzie expected to testify at Emergencies Act inquiry . 2022-11-06 . CTVNews . en . November 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221106155432/https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/diagolon-founder-jeremy-mackenzie-expected-to-testify-at-emergencies-act-inquiry-1.6133230 . live .
  15. News: Dryden . Joel . Grant . Meghan . 17 Feb 2023 . Border protests in Coutts, Alta., a 'concrete manifestation' of risk to Canada: Rouleau . CBC . March 18, 2023 . February 21, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230221230534/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/coutts-alberta-diagolon-paul-rouleau-1.6751945 . live .
  16. Web site: 2022-10-13 . Diagolon group founder Jeremy MacKenzie fires lawyer in Saskatoon . 2023-06-26 . . en.
  17. Web site: 2022-10-10 . Diagolon founder denied release after bail hearing concludes in Saskatoon . 2022-11-06 . Atlantic . en . November 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221106155432/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/diagolon-founder-denied-release-after-bail-hearing-concludes-in-saskatoon-1.6103311 . live .
  18. Web site: Levy . Bryn . Diagolon leader Jeremy Mackenzie to challenge decision denying him bail SaltWire . 2022-11-06 . www.saltwire.com . en . November 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221106155432/https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/diagolon-leader-jeremy-mackenzie-to-challenge-decision-denying-him-bail-100788663/ . live .
  19. Web site: Sorokan . Keenan . 2022-10-13 . 'Diagolon' leader Jeremy MacKenzie fires lawyer during Saskatoon court appearance . 2022-11-06 . Saskatoon . en . November 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221106155429/https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/diagolon-leader-jeremy-mackenzie-fires-lawyer-during-saskatoon-court-appearance-1.6107878 . live .
  20. News: 2022-11-04 . LIVE: Freedom Convoy leader Tamara Lich cross-examined; Diagolon founder to testify . en . National Post . 2022-11-06.
  21. Web site: Levy . Bryn . 28 Nov 2022 . Diagolon leader Jeremy Mackenzie granted bail in Saskatchewan . 2022-11-29 . thestarphoenix . en-CA . November 29, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221129033030/https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/diagolon-leader-jeremy-mackenzie-granted-bail-in-saskatchewan . live .
  22. Web site: Cuthbertson . Richard . https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/harassment-charges-robert-strang-stayed-1.7225904 . 7 June 2024.
  23. Web site: 'Diagolon' leader Jeremey MacKenzie testifying at inquiry into use of Emergencies Act . 2022-11-06 . CityNews Halifax . November 4, 2022 . en . November 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221106155428/https://halifax.citynews.ca/local-news/diagolon-leader-jeremey-mackenzie-testifying-at-inquiry-into-use-of-emergencies-act-6058095 . live .
  24. Web site: Joy . Lisa . Charges in all provinces tossed against 'Diagolon's' Jeremy MacKenzie . SaskToday . 2 July 2024 . en . 13 June 2024.

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