Toronto Terrorism Attack: Canada’s Misogyny And The Alt-Right
By Julian HaydaToronto Terrorism Attack: Canada’s Misogyny And The Alt-Right
By Julian HaydaTen people
are dead after 25 year-old Alek Minassian allegedly drove a rental van through
a busy pedestrian thoroughfare in Toronto on Monday. Minassian surrendered to
police shortly afterward. Though he brandished what appeared to be a gun and
said he had a gun, the police officer confronting Minassian is
being lauded for not shooting him. Also on Monday, Alexandre Bissonnette,
the shooter behind a 2017 mosque attack in Quebec City, appeared for sentencing
in a Canadian court. Bissonnette was actively engaging with far-right wing
American and Canadian personalities like Ben Shapiro and Alex Jones.
Both
Minassian and Bissonnette are accused of expressing misogynist sentiments in
right-wing corners of the internet. Most of Minassian’s victims were women, according
to Toronto police. Neither Minassian nor Bissonnette are likely face
terrorism charges. Canadian right-wing pundits insist Minassian, likely of
Armenian ancestry, was not white, and therefore is a terrorist. To discuss,
we’re joined by Jesse Brown, a Toronto-based journalist and media critic. He’s
also publisher of the Canadaland podcast network and co-authored the book The Canadaland
Guide to Canada — a humorous look at Canada’s dark side.