Military Considered Valentine’s Day MMIW Vigils Source Of Potential ‘Extremism’

By Jorge Barrera, APTN National News| February 19, 2016

Military’s counter-intelligence unit considered Valentine’s Day MMIW vigils source of potential ‘extremism’

The Canadian military’s counter-intelligence unit considered the yearly Valentine’s Day vigils for murdered and missing Indigenous women as a potential source for “extremism” and “civil unrest,” according to a document released to APTN National News.

The heavily redacted, seven-page counterintelligence report compiled by the Canadian Forces National Counterintelligence Unit was obtained under the Access to Information Act.

The Threat information Collection report focused on a time frame from Jan. 6 to Feb. 5, 2015, included Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta as its geographical coverage area and used information from 27 sources.

The report was compiled “in support of a Threat Assessment” required for an event or issue that is redacted from the document.

Much of the report is redacted, except for a section referencing the Islamic State terror network in a section on terrorism, Akwesasne under a section referencing “criminal activity” and the Valentine’s Day murdered and missing Indigenous women vigils held yearly across the country.

The vigils are mentioned third in a five item list under the heading, “Interference/Extremism/Civil Unrest.”

It’s unclear why the vigils were included in the list as any potential explanation appears to be redacted. The unredacted portion, however, states that these vigils have never been a source of civil unrest or extremism.

“(Feb. 14) has become a day to hold peaceful rallies and vigils to draw attention to violence against women, in some cases specifically violence against Aboriginal women,” said the report. “These events have been held for 24 years consecutively and have never been an issue.”

The rest of the section is censored.

CF National Counter Intelligence Unit report