Ottawa youth facing terrorism charges in alleged plot against Jewish people: RCMP

OTTAWA –

RCMP say an Ottawa youth has been arrested and charged with terrorism-related offences that allegedly targeted Jewish people.

The Mounties say the young person arrested Friday was charged with facilitating terrorist activity by communicating instructional material related to an explosive substance.

The youth is further charged with knowingly instructing a person to carry out terrorist activity against “Jewish persons.”

Police say no further information about the suspect can be released due to their age.

RCMP have arrested five young people on terrorism-related offences since June 2023.

In a news release, the national police force says they are seeing a concerning trend of violent extremism and terrorist use of the internet, including among young people, and are asking adults in authority positions to watch for early warning signs of radicalization.

Those include dehumanization of others, extreme anti-government attitudes and clear statements of intention to carry out violent acts.

Politicians, police forces and advocacy groups have been raising the alarm about a reported rise in hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim communities since Hamas’s Oct. 7 deadly surprise attack in Israel, prompting that country’s military offensive in Gaza.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2023.