Canada Adds US-Based Militia Group Three Percenters, Influential Neo-Nazi to Terror List

Canada has added several new listings to its designated terrorist entities list, including neo-Nazi James Mason and the U.S.-style militia the Three Percenters.

Mason, known for writing the influential insurgency manual Siege, has been a touchstone for many of the violent accelerationist neo-Nazi groups such as Atomwaffen Division (AWD) and the Base, both of which made Canada’s terror watch list earlier this year. The listing describes Mason as “a life-long American neo-Nazi” who “has been an active neo-Nazi since he was 14 years old.”

“Mason is responsible for publishing a series of newsletters in the 1980s, which promoted the idea of lone actors conducting terrorist attacks against the United States government in order to bring about the collapse of society and a race war,” it reads.

Mason was a key organizer and mentor for the neo-Nazis in AWS, which has been connected to five murders since its founding. According to the listing, Mason coached AWD on “propagandizing murder and genocide.” He was also influential on AWD sister organizations Feuerkrieg Division and Sonnenkrieg Division, which have both been described as terrorist organizations in the United Kingdom.

Mason currently resides in the U.S. and is still active in the neo-Nazi movement; his work continues to be a driving force for the movement in general.

Amarnath Amarasingam, a Canadian extremism researcher, told VICE World News the inclusion of Mason, one of the few individuals on the list, “communicates that Canada is taking the ideologues and propagandists behind far-right movements seriously, in addition to the plots.” 

“It will make it difficult for him to raise money, make people think twice before inviting him to speak at events, and make it harder for him to associate in any real way with members of the far-right in Canada,” said Amarasingam. “And that’s a good thing.”

Also listed was the militia group the Three Percenters/III%, also known as the Threepers. Primarily based out of the United States, the Threepers expanded into Canada, initially in Alberta, following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s victory. It now has regional groups in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario.

“In 2020, two of the group’s leaders directed a plot to kidnap the Governor of Michigan that involved acquiring and detonating explosives to divert police attention from the kidnapping, as well as public executions of public officials by hanging them on live television,” said the entry for the Threepers.

VICE was the first outlet to report on the Threepers formation in Canada. 

Aryan Strikeforce, a U.K.-based neo-Nazi group that has ties to Canada, and the Islamic State in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was also added to the list. This brings the terror watch list up to 77 entities. Earlier in the year Atomwaffen, the Base, and the Proud Boys were added.

A terror watch listing doesn’t make joining the group explicitly illegal but it makes it easier to lay terrorism-related charges to the members. Listed groups also have their assets frozen, and it is illegal for them to make money as an organization.

The “list of terrorist entities is an important tool to help us keep pace with these evolving threats and global trends,” Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair wrote in a statement.

“Recent events should remove any doubts about the serious threat posed by ideologically motivated violent extremism,” said Blair. “Intolerance and hate have no place in our society and the Government of Canada will continue to do all we can to keep Canadians safe from all threats, including terrorism and violent extremism.”

Follow Mack Lamoureux on Twitter.