Prosecutors seek to tie Ottawa man to filming of neo-Nazi propaganda videos

By Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press on December 2, 2024.

OTTAWA – Closing arguments have begun in the trial of an Ottawa man who Crown prosecutors allege helped make neo-Nazi propaganda and recruitment videos.

Patrick Macdonald, 27, has pleaded not guilty to charges of terrorism and hate speech.

Prosecutors showed an Ontario Superior Court three videos to promote the Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi group Canada listed as a terror entity in 2021.

The videos contain violent and antisemitic messages and symbols and show a small, paramilitary-like force shooting rifles and burning flags and books.

Prosecutors are seeking to connect Macdonald to their filming through metadata from audiovisual equipment taken from his home, and through records they argue place him at the apparent filming locations in Canada.

It’s the first case in Canada where the Crown laid charges for both terrorism and hate propaganda against someone for promoting a violent, far-right ideology.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024.

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