Defence Department Says It Doesn’t Track Staff’s Antifa Involvement, Cites Lack of Clear Definition

Left-wing protesters, some affiliated with Antifa, hold a counterprotest against protesters demanding the release of the people who were arrested on Jan. 6, 2021, in New York City on July 25, 2021. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

The Department of National Defence (DND) says it does not centrally track Antifa involvement among members of the Canadian Armed Forces or its employees, saying  there is no “common definition” of the movement.

In an April 13 response to an order paper question by Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, the DND said it does “in-depth screenings” to identify past records of extremism or hateful conduct but does not “centrally track involvement with Antifa in its human resources systems.”