Incident Report: Anti-Government Extremism and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goal 16

This report details an incident of ideologically motivated violent extremism in Quebec, Canada, analyzing its components and significance through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a primary focus on SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Summary of Events

H3: Arrests and Charges

• Date of Arrest: 8 July 2025.
• Location: Quebec, Canada.
• Individuals Charged: Four men were charged. Three faced charges of facilitating terrorist activity, and a fourth faced weapons offences.
• Timeline of Activity: The alleged criminal activity occurred between 2021 and 2024.

H3: Details of the Extremist Plot

The plot represented a direct assault on the principles of SDG 16, which seeks to promote peaceful and inclusive societies and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

• Primary Objective: To forcibly seize land near Quebec City.
• Stated Goal: To establish a new, separate society and form an anti-government militia.
• Recruitment and Training: The group engaged in recruitment, reportedly numbering at least 15 core members, and conducted training in weapons, survival, and orientation.

H3: Weapons and Equipment Seizure

The scale of the seized arsenal highlights a significant threat to public safety and security, directly contravening SDG Target 16.1 (Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere).

• 16 explosive devices
• 83 firearms and accessories
• 11,000 rounds of ammunition
• Nearly 130 magazines

The report that some materials were “diverted” from the Canadian military indicates a severe breach of institutional integrity, undermining SDG Target 16.a (Strengthen relevant national institutions… to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime).

Ideological Motivations and Threats to Sustainable Development

H3: Anti-Government Ideology and its Conflict with SDG 16

The group’s anti-government ideology, potentially linked to accelerationism, is fundamentally opposed to the existence of strong, legitimate state institutions, which are the cornerstone of SDG 16. The plot to create a “zone of non-droit” (lawless zone) is an explicit attempt to dismantle the rule of law and peaceful governance.

H3: Undermining Social Cohesion: Links to SDG 5 and SDG 10

The alleged ideological underpinnings of the group pose a threat to broader sustainable development objectives.

• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Reports of misogyny as a motivating factor align the group’s ideology with movements that threaten the safety and rights of women and girls.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The presence of racism as a motivator indicates an agenda to create an exclusionary society, which is antithetical to the goal of promoting the social and political inclusion of all.

Analysis of Significance in the Context of Canadian Security and the SDGs

H3: Institutional Integrity and Military Involvement

The involvement of two serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces is a critical failure of institutional oversight and a direct challenge to SDG 16. It demonstrates a vulnerability within a key state institution responsible for national security, showing that even robust institutions are susceptible to extremist infiltration, which can erode public trust and state stability.

H3: The Role of Digital Platforms in Undermining Peace and Security

The group’s use of a private Instagram account with over 1,000 followers for recruitment and propaganda illustrates a modern challenge to maintaining peace and security. This highlights the need for stronger partnerships, as outlined in SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), between governments and the private sector (tech companies) to prevent the exploitation of digital platforms for activities that undermine SDG 16.

H3: Disparity in Counter-Terrorism Efforts and SDG 16

Data indicates a historical disparity in Canadian counter-terrorism, where enforcement actions have primarily targeted religiously motivated groups, despite ideologically motivated extremists perpetrating over 75% of attacks since 2004. This gap suggests an inconsistent application of security measures, potentially leaving communities vulnerable and failing to fully uphold the mandate of SDG 16 to ensure justice and protection for all citizens from all forms of violence.

Recommendations for Advancing SDG 16

H3: Strengthening Institutional Responses

1. Enhance vetting, education, and monitoring protocols within security institutions, particularly the Canadian Armed Forces, to identify and counter extremist ideologies, thereby reinforcing the integrity and accountability required by SDG 16.a.
2. Align national counter-terrorism strategies and resource allocation with empirical data on domestic threats, ensuring that ideologically motivated violent extremism receives a proportionate response to safeguard communities and uphold the rule of law.

H3: Fostering Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (SDG 17)

1. Develop robust regulatory and collaborative frameworks that compel social media platforms to improve detection and reporting of content that facilitates recruitment, training, and propaganda for violent extremist causes.
2. Promote cross-sectoral partnerships between law enforcement, civil society, and technology companies to improve the collective understanding of how extremism manifests online and to develop effective, rights-respecting countermeasures that support the goal of peaceful and inclusive societies.

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • The article’s central theme is the disruption of a terrorist plot by an anti-government militia in Canada. This directly relates to SDG 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions. The plot to “forcibly take possession of land” and establish a “new society” is a direct threat to peace and the rule of law. The article details the response of national institutions like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) in preventing violence and upholding justice.

2. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • The article makes a connection to SDG 5 by mentioning that the group’s ideology may have been motivated by “misogyny.” It also references past terrorist attacks in Canada involving “involuntary celibates (Incels),” a group known for misogynistic violence. This links the issue of extremism discussed in the article to the broader goal of eliminating all forms of violence against women.

3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • The article connects to SDG 10 by noting that the RCMP suggested the plot was motivated in part by “racism.” It also contextualizes the plot by mentioning other ideologically motivated attacks in Canada, including those by “anti-Muslim violent extremists.” These elements highlight how extremist ideologies that target specific groups based on race or religion are a threat to the goal of promoting social and political inclusion for all.

Identified SDG Targets

1. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

   • This target is directly relevant as the article describes a foiled plot involving a plan for significant violence. The group’s intention to “forcibly take possession of land” and build an “anti-government militia” implies a readiness to use violence. The article also quantifies past violence, stating there have been “roughly 60 terrorist attacks in Canada” since 2004 and references specific violent incidents like the “2014 New Brunswick shooting of RCMP officers” and the “2022 attempted bank robbery in Saanich.”

2. Target 16.4: By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime.

   • The article provides clear evidence related to this target by detailing the seizure of a “massive cache of weapons.” The inventory included “16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, 11,000 rounds of ammunition, and nearly 130 magazines.” Furthermore, it explicitly mentions illicit arms flows, noting that some of the seized material was “‘diverted’ from the Canadian military.” The organized nature of the group, which allegedly had at least “15 members” and conducted training activities, also aligns with combating organized crime.

3. Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions… to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.

   • The article highlights the role of Canada’s national security institutions. It states that the plot was “uncovered by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which informed the RCMP, a federal police force responsible for most terrorism investigations in Canada.” This demonstrates the functioning of these institutions in preventing terrorism. The article also discusses the challenges faced by the Canadian Armed Forces in “addressing extremism in its ranks” and the RCMP’s increased efforts to “identify and disrupt ideologically motivated terrorist activity,” which speaks to the ongoing process of strengthening these institutions.

Implied Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Indicators for Target 16.1 (Reduce Violence)

   • Number of terrorist attacks and plots: The article provides data on this, stating there have been “roughly 60 terrorist attacks in Canada” between 2004 and 2024, with an average of 3 per year. The number of foiled plots, such as the one in Quebec, serves as an indicator of both threat levels and preventative success.
   • Number of arrests and charges for terrorism-related offences: The article discusses the arrest of four men and presents a chart (Figure 2) showing the number of terrorism charges laid in Canada over time, distinguishing between ideologically and religiously motivated extremism. This data is a direct measure of law enforcement activity against violent threats.

2. Indicators for Target 16.4 (Reduce Illicit Arms Flows)

   • Volume and type of seized illicit arms: The article provides a specific inventory of the seized weapons cache (“16 explosive devices, 83 firearms… 11,000 rounds of ammunition”). This quantitative data is a direct indicator of the scale of illicit arms trafficking and the effectiveness of interdiction efforts.
   • Tracing of illicit arms: The article implies this indicator by stating that some weapons were “‘diverted’ from the Canadian military.” Establishing the origin of seized weapons is a key measure of understanding and combating illicit flows.

3. Indicators for Target 16.a (Strengthen Institutions)

   • Institutional policy changes and focus: The article notes a shift in institutional focus, mentioning that the “2017 Quebec Mosque attack marked a turning point in Canadian anti-terrorism policy, with a broadening of the terrorism lens” within CSIS to include ideologically motivated violence. This policy evolution is an indicator of institutional adaptation and strengthening.
   • Use of technology for monitoring and investigation: The article discusses the extremists’ use of an Instagram account for recruitment and the subsequent takedown of the account. It recommends that platforms “examine similar and linked accounts for potential extremist or violent content.” The capacity of law enforcement and security services to “monitor this activity and use it to initiate investigations” is an indicator of their evolving capabilities.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: gnet-research.org