Full Breakdown
White Nationalist Demonstration Sparks Outcry in Kamloops, B.C.
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident Overview
On a Sunday morning in Kamloops, a retired couple heard “hup! hup!” and saw roughly two dozen men in black clothing with white face and neck coverings marching toward the city cenotaph. The unmasked leader, estimated to be in his 50s, directed the group while two others operated drones nearby. After the couple reported the gathering to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) non-emergency line, officers fanned out across the city but did not locate the men before they dispersed. Later that day, social-media posts linked the participants to the Second Sons white-nationalist group, which had previously displayed a banner with a three-maple-leaf insignia on a Trans-Canada Highway overpass in Kamloops. The RCMP confirmed they received a call at dawn about masked men gathering beside a road on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc reserve and “engaged the group,” after which the men left for other parts of the city. No arrests were announced, and the police did not specify potential charges.
Background on the Residential-School Site
The cenotaph is adjacent to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation reserve, where a 2020 discovery of 215 children’s remains at the former Indian Residential School sparked national mourning and the establishment of a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. While the community initially asserted the remains were confirmed graves, recent ground-penetrating radar scans have generated uncertainty, prompting some to question the findings. This lingering controversy provides a backdrop for the white-nationalist intimidation attempt.
Official Responses
Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation warned that the Nation would not be intimidated and announced heightened security ahead of the upcoming Truth and Reconciliation holiday. The Assembly of First Nations condemned the display of racism on social media. Provincial political leaders—including NDP Leader David Eby, interim Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson, and Green Party Leader Emily Lowan—called the demonstration “disgusting.” Prime Minister Mark Carney labeled the event “abhorrent,” emphasizing the holiday’s reminder of collective responsibility to confront the residential-school legacy.
Verbatim Quote
“It’s not something I want in my neighbourhood, city, province or country,” — Mr. Hammond