A Winnipeg man who had previously been arrested and charged for a spate of antisemitic vandalism was charged on Monday for his involvement with a terrorist organization, the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced on Tuesday.
Nineteen-year-old Nevin Thunder Young appeared before the Winnipeg Provincial Court on Wednesday to face charges of facilitating terrorist activity, participation in terrorist group activity, and commission of an offense for a terrorist group.
The terrorist organization that Young was involved with was not named, but in February, he was referred to the RCMP Federal Policing National Security Enforcement Section Northwest Region by the Winnipeg Police Service in February after he was charged with graffiti that may have referenced the neo-fascist group Maniacs Murder Cult (MKY).
Young was arrested on January 12 and charged with 26 counts of mischief for a graffiti spree in the Charleswood neighborhood between September and the end of December, which included the defacement of structures, objects, and fences with Nazi swastikas and the acronym MKY.
According to a West Point Combating Terrorism Center September Sentinel publication, MKY is a militant accelerationist group that developed in Ukraine. The group, whose ideology is reportedly rooted in Nazi mysticism, seeks a racial war to eradicate ethnic and racial enemies. New members must commit a criminal act to be considered for membership, apparently also openly recording these crimes.
'Blatant act of antisemitism'
Young’s vandalism caused concern across Manitoban leadership, with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew urging residents to stand against antisemitism and all forms of hate. Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham had said on X/Twitter that the vandalism was a “blatant act of antisemitism.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Manitoba and Saskatchewan vice president, Gustavo Zentner, praised prosecutors and law enforcement for prioritizing the case but warned that the revelation of terrorism ties needed to serve as a “wake-up call.”
“We’ve seen too many cases in recent months where individuals commit hate-fueled acts and are later found to have connections with international terrorist groups who have begun radicalizing, mobilizing, and recruiting locally. If we don’t act now, we risk allowing this threat to grow,” Zentner said on Tuesday.
“It is essential that both government and law enforcement take decisive action to send a clear message that hate will not be tolerated. Charges for hate-motivated crimes and their accompanying sentences must be severe enough to act as a deterrent, to hold people accountable, and prove that they are committed to protecting Jews and all Manitobans.”
B’nai Brith Canada warned on social media, “The hate and division being permitted to fester in Canada is having real-world consequences,” noting the hate crime charges announced on Monday against Amir Arvahi Azar.
The 32-year-old was arrested on January 11 for his role in a series of antisemitic arson and vandalism incidents in Toronto and faced the rare charge of advocating for genocide.