RCMP arrest 18-year-old in Montreal on 'allegations of terrorism' after FBI tip

The arrest of Mohamed Amine Assal was announced Thursday

Author of the article:

Paul Cherry  •  Montreal Gazette

Published Mar 23, 2023  •  Last updated 2 hours ago  •  4 minute read

 

 

 

 

The RCMP announced Thursday that they arrested an 18-year-old St-Laurent resident based on information from the FBI alleging he was involved in terrorism.

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“Based on intelligence from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, this morning RCMP officers arrested Mohamed Amine Assal, 18, of (the St-Laurent borough). This police operation was aimed at disrupting the suspicious activities of Mr. Assal and ensuring he undertakes to keep the peace pursuant to (a peace bond),” the RCMP said in a statement.

 

 

“Following a short investigation by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET), the RCMP had reasonable grounds to fear that an individual may commit a terrorism offence. The investigation is ongoing and all evidence will be analyzed. Charges may be laid at a later date.”

Assal appeared before Quebec Court Judge Alexandre Dalmau Thursday afternoon. Through his defence lawyer, Michael Morena, he agreed to follow a series of conditions in order to be released while he awaits a hearing to determine if he agrees to the peace bond.

 

 

Assal agreed to respect a curfew that requires him to be home between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. He is also not allowed to associate with people who have a criminal record or cases pending.

The prosecutor who listed the conditions said Assal is not allowed to “participate in terrorist activities” as defined in the Criminal Code of Canada. He is also not allowed to possess weapons or use the internet except for school and cannot access websites tied to terrorism.

When the judge asked Assal if he understood the conditions, he only asked that the hours of his curfew be repeated.

Dalmau agreed to set the next date in the case for May 4.

The home where Assal resides in St-Laurent was being searched by RCMP investigators on Thursday.

A document filed in the case, requesting that Assal sign the peace bond, is based on “the grounds stated in (an) affidavit.” An RCMP investigator alleges they “have reason to fear that Assal will commit an offence of terrorism.”

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According to information obtained by the Montreal Gazette, the investigation began on March 14, based on information from the FBI that a user of Telegram Messenger, a free and open source app, was “discussing violent acts of terrorism motivated by radical Islamist ideology.”

The FBI learned that a person with the username @abujoe000 was connecting to IP addresses at CEGEP Édouard-Montpetit and at an address that turned out to be the home of Assal’s family in St-Laurent.

The school confirmed to the RCMP that Assal was a student there and that he is studying aircraft maintenance.

The day after the investigation began, the RCMP obtained a warrant allowing investigators to place Assal under surveillance. He was suspected of facilitating and counselling terrorist acts.

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The FBI had a source who claimed an ISIS supporter based in Italy associated with a person behind the username Assal is alleged to have used on Telegram Messenger. The source alleged that the ISIS supporter in Italy was radicalized at the same time as the person behind the @abujoe000 username.

The source also said the ISIS supporter in Italy had convinced six people, including the person behind the @abujoe000 username, to “conduct attacks.”

The same source alleged the person was secretly recruiting people to join ISIS.

As the investigation progressed, the RCMP learned that the person behind the @abujoe000 username had an exchange with another person on Telegram Messenger on Feb. 28 during which they appeared to discuss how to make a pipe bomb.

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“Is black powder enough to be explosive on its own or do I need to add more materials,” the other person asked through the app.

“I’ll go check,” @abujoe000 replied.

“BTW FBI we’re talking about firecrackers (sic) which r legal,” the other person wrote, apparently assuming the FBI was monitoring the conversation.

The person behind the @abujoe000 username then recommended taping nails to the outside of a pipe bomb to allow debris to scatter more when it is detonated.

When @abujoe000 suggested he and the other person “hop an a call,” the latter replied that he was “not in a call safe area, so to speak.”

Police emerged just after 2:30 p.m. Thursday from Assal’s house on Bourgoin St., in a residential neighbourhood of neat duplexes, carrying computers wrapped in plastic bags. They had spent several hours inside the house Thursday afternoon.

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Neighbours on the street said they did not know the family, as they had just moved in in February.

Residents who lived next door to the Assal family’s previous home on Alexis-Nihon Blvd. in the same borough described them as friendly and quiet. The father was Moroccan and worked for a coffee company, they said.

“They even took out our garbage and shovelled our walkway,” said an elderly neighbour. “They were very nice. Never any problems.”

René Bruemmer of the Montreal Gazette contributed to this report.

 

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/rcmp-arrests-st-laurent-resident-on-allegations-of-terrorism/wcm/de9f1184-7304-44df-a5de-b8fd2a200ab3 

 NHL team won't wear Pride jerseys, citing new Russian law

 March 23, 2023 / 4:00 PM / AP

 

 

MINNEAPOLIS -- A National Hockey League team with a Russian player has decided against wearing special warmup jerseys to commemorate Pride night, citing an anti-gay Kremlin law that could imperil Russian athletes when they return home.

The Chicago Blackhawks, which also has two players with connections to Russia, will not wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys before Sunday's game against Vancouver, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press, because of security concerns involving the law, which expands restrictions on supporting LGBTQ rights. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed it in December.

The decision was made by the Blackhawks following discussions with security officials within and outside the franchise, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke Wednesday to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the move.

Chicago coach Luke Richardson said Thursday that he and his players were disappointed and called it "an unfortunate situation."

"I don't think we can control the world issues, so that takes it out of our hands," Richardson said. "We're just making decisions as best we can as an organization and for everybody."

The league declined to comment through a spokesperson, as did agent Dan Milstein, who represents Russian players on the Blackhawks and other teams.

The decision comes amid increasing threats to freedom of expression in the U.S. and abroad. Conservative political forces have sought to ban LGBTQ-themed books from American school libraries and to forbid classroom lessons that mention sexuality and some aspects of race relations.

Similar pressures have forced Russian players to walk a careful line since the invasion of Ukraine, with some cautiously speaking out against the war even with family members still living in Russia. Last year, Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov ran into several roadblocks as he traveled back to the U.S., raising concerns about his safety.

"There's such a sensitivity to the topic, and you have concerns for the Russians, especially," Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo said, emphasizing that he does not "understand what it's like to be in Russia and to grow up there. And I don't think we're able to speak about the psychology of those players because we don't understand."

 

 

 

 Chicago defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is a Moscow native, and there are other players with family in Russia or other connections to the country. Zaitsev was not made available to reporters in Washington.

The Sabres and Vancouver Canucks have Pride nights upcoming. The Canucks have not announced specific plans for the event. Sabres management was scheduled to hold discussions Thursday with its player leadership group on the matter, amid concern over whether defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin will participate because he is from Moscow, where he still has family and returns in the offseason to visit.

Lyubushkin and his family members could face a backlash in Russia, according to a Sabres employee with knowledge of the issue. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.

In other sports, members of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays decided last season not to wear rainbow-colored logos on their uniforms as part of their Pride night. Women's basketball star Brittney Griner, an American citizen who is gay, was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport last year after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. She was imprisoned for eight months until a high-profile prisoner swap with the U.S.

Kurt Weaver, chief operating officer of the You Can Play Project, which advocates for LGBTQ participation in sports, said he was upset to learn of the Blackhawks' decision but called the conversation an indicator of progress. 

 

 "We are certainly disappointed that the jerseys aren't worn, because that's the No. 1 visual representation from the athletes themselves. But he praised the team's commitment to Pride causes dating back more than a decade.

The Florida Panthers - whose star goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, is Russian - planned to go forward with plans to wear the jerseys Thursday night before their home game against Toronto.

The jerseys are just one part of many initiatives Florida built into its annual event. The Panthers will also auction off the jerseys, then match whatever money is raised and donate to nonprofits that work with the LGBTQ community.

"As an organization, we've decided, and rightfully so, to move forward with it and support it and celebrate it," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "Teams around the league and players around the league, they've got the right to their opinion, and we've got the right to ours."

Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers declined to take part in pregame warmups during the team's Pride night in January, citing his Russian Orthodox religion. Russians Nikolai Knyzhov and Alexander Barabanov wore the Pride-themed jerseys for the San Jose Sharks Sharks on Saturday, when Canadian goaltender James Reimer refused to take part because he said it conflicted with his religious beliefs.

The New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild opted not to wear Pride jerseys or use Pride stick tape as part of their events despite previously advertising they would.

The Blackhawks planned a variety of LGBT-related activities in conjunction with Sunday's game. DJs from the LGBTQ community will play before the game and during an intermission, and the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus is slated to perform. There also are plans to highlight a couple of area businesses with ties to the gay community.

"We don't want the jerseys to represent the entirety of the night," Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones said. "We're still doing a lot for the LGBTQ community, and us as players respect that. We just thought that this was best for our team."

 https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/nhl-team-wont-wear-pride-jerseys-citing-new-russian-law/

 Happy White Pride Day! 14 Words

 

 

 Drag Queen Story time Peterborough, Action speaks louder than words! 

 

 THIS IS MY WAY

I really take offence to calling me the N-Word, I might sue! Its a tattoo of the Greek Sun God Hannon, which brings life to Our planet and crops! The Greek letter Gamma 4 × known as the Gammadion.

https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/news/peterborough-region/2023/03/18/photos-supporters-outnumber-protesters-at-peterborough-drag-event.html

 

 

Avril Lavigne cheered for telling off topless protester: 'Handled that like a pro'

Way to go Avril! Still love ya! Kicking some ugly as sin, lesbian feminist off stage! Epic! 

 

Avril Lavigne cheered for telling off topless protester: 'Handled that like a pro' 

 

Lavigne told the environmentalist demonstrator to 'get the f--- off' the stage

 

 

Twitter users cheered singer Avril Lavigne for telling a topless protester at the 2023 Juno Awards to "get the f--- off" the stage Monday night.

Lavigne originally took to the stage to introduce performer AP Dhillon, when a female demonstrator wearing pink pants and no shirt walked up and down the catwalk. The "Complicated" singer attempted to ignore the protester until a security guard came to escort the woman offstage.

"Get the f--- off," Lavigne told the protester. "Get the f--- off, b--ch."

 

 Viewers and social media users praised Lavigne’s approach, including the colourful language.

 

"The world: Canadians are overly polite. Avril Lavigne: Hold my f---ing beer so I can tell this f*cking girl to get off the f*cking stage," City News Edmonton reporter Courtney Theriault joked.

The Free Press writer Rupa Subramanya wrote, "Avril Lavigne for the win. It's not complicated."

"She handled that like a pro," guitarist Devin Bronson remarked.

 

 

 https://www.foxnews.com/media/avril-lavigne-cheered-telling-topless-protester-handled-pro

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you and yours from me and mine! 🍀

 Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you and yours from me and mine!🍀 Lads and Lasses! Kiss me! (Ladies ONLY!)

 

 

On this Saint Patrick's Day don't drink and drive or be a sober designated driver! Stay safe!

 

 

The Return of Frontline Discussion

 

 Canadian Nationalist From with host Kevin Goudreau returns in video format!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Dead Communist Day!

 Happy Dead Communist Day! Everyone do your part in the gobal effort to Smash Communism! Death to Cultural Marxism!