In response to a recent gathering of white nationalists at the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc reserve near Kamloops, B.C., the First Nation has introduced a new measure to prevent similar incidents in the future. Acting Kúkpi7 (Chief) Nikki Fraser announced that the Tk’emlúps council passed a resolution on Tuesday, establishing a “zero tolerance for hate-based conduct” policy. This policy aims to uphold the nation’s authority while providing additional tools to the RCMP to remove individuals engaged in hate-driven activities from the community.
The incident involved a group of 20 to 30 men wearing white face masks and black caps who descended on the reserve. Identified as members of Second Sons Canada by the nation and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN), the group is associated with white supremacist and white nationalist ideologies.
Despite security personnel’s efforts to instruct the men to leave, they only departed when the RCMP intervened. Fraser emphasized that although the gathering initially appeared as a peaceful protest, it contradicted the values of the Secwépemc people and involved hate-based behavior. She stressed that the resolution supports the elimination of any acts or demonstrations related to hate-driven conduct.
Following their departure from the Tk’emlúps reserve, the group relocated to other areas in the city, including an overpass where they displayed a banner reading “got bones.” Supt. Jeff Pelley of the Kamloops RCMP condemned the masked demonstration as a “cowardly attempt to evade accountability for actions and messages intended to intimidate, sow fear, and create division.”
The incident has garnered widespread condemnation from various political quarters.
