Menu

Topics

Connect

Comments

Comments closed.

Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time.

Please see our Commenting Policy for more.

Formal hate crimes complaints filed with police over GTA teen YouTuber

WATCH ABOVE: At least two police departments in the Greater Toronto Area have received hate crime complaints against a local teenager over racist and anti-Semitic videos posted on YouTube. But one group worries nothing is being done to uphold anti-hate laws in Canada. Christina Stevens reports – Nov 10, 2016

She appears sweet and bubbly, but her video messages are chilling.

Story continues below advertisement

In one video, Greater Toronto Area teenager Veronica Bouchard sides with the Klu Klux Klan.

“They weren’t just n—– lynchers, they were actually working towards pro-right goals and they were very anti-degeneracy and me and them would agree with a lot of things,” she said.

Bouchard, who just turned 19 this month, is having burgeoning success on YouTube. Her videos containing racial slurs and anti-Semitic messages have had hundreds of thousands of views.

READ MORE: GTA teen posting neo-Nazi videos is being manipulated by hate groups: expert

When she was shut down by YouTube, other people reposted the videos.

This week, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs submitted a hate crimes complaint to Toronto police.

Sources tell Global News Durham Regional Police have also received reports from concerned individuals within the last couple of months.

Story continues below advertisement

One Human Rights Organization says Bouchard is being used as a “puppet” by the “nationalism” movement, which has spread from Europe to the U.S. and Canada.

WATCH: Expert says GTA teenager posting neo-Nazi videos is being manipulated by larger group

“When you are using as a puppet, as the face of a movement, somebody who can reach out to the youth, or who other youth can identify with and they say, ‘Hey I’m just like her, I’m going to be a part of that movement,’ that’s what makes it so dangerous,” said Michael Mostyn, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada.

Story continues below advertisement

He said anti-Semitism is on the rise in Canada, but the justice system isn’t acting.

The daily email you need for 's top news stories.

“On Facebook for example, people have been calling out for the death to all Jews, but where are the charges?,” he added.

“Charges are not being laid in this country under the laws that we have on the books.”

READ MORE: Ontario teen who called for ‘white’ Canada has laptop seized by CBSA

It is against the law in Canada to deliberately promote hatred against an identifiable group. However, statistics on the charges are hard to come by.

It is believed there is only one current case in B.C.

Bouchard said she never bought into the anti-racism message drilled into her head at school in Markham.

“You cannot look there, everyone’s the same, don’t look at race don’t you dare think anything racist,” is what she said she was told.

Story continues below advertisement

WATCH: GTA teen who called for ‘white’ Canada has laptops seized by CBSA

She was asked why she thinks it is important to divide people into boxes based on their race.

“I wouldn’t say putting into boxes, but I think we already are genetically divided,” she said.

B’nai Brith is inviting Bouchard to contact and meet with them.

Story continues below advertisement

“We would be more than happy to talk to her about all of these issues and work with her,” said Mostyn.

He said Bouchard is on the verge of taking a dangerously wrong turn in life.

Advertisement

You are viewing an Accelerated Mobile Webpage.

View Original Article