RCMP investigating rape threat against Pierre Poilievre's wife

Warning: This story contains sexually graphic details that may be disturbing to readers

The RCMPconfirmed Monday that it islooking intoa threat of sexual violence directed at Conservative Leader PierrePoilievre's wife, Anaida Poilievre.

Poilievredenounced thethreatfrom far-right political commentator Jeremy MacKenzieand saidhis officecontacted law enforcement about the matter.

AnRCMPspokespersontoldCBC News Monday that it's looking into the report.

"We can confirm that the matter has been referred to the RCMP and we are reviewing the information provided," theysaid in an email.

"Only in the event that criminal charges are laid would the RCMP be in a position to confirm the nature of the complaint or any individuals allegedly involved."

Jeremy MacKenzie, the leader of the Canadianfar-right group Diagolon, made the threatsover the weekend in a stream on the social media appTelegram while speaking with a guest,Alex Vriend.

"Let's rape her," MacKenzie said. "It's not really a sex thing. It's like we just want to show people that we can do things to you if we want to. It's a power move."

MacKenzie made several racist and derogatory remarks about Anaida Poilievre's Venezuelan background in the stream.

AnaidaPoilievre was born in Venezuela andgrew up in Montreal. Pierre and Anaidamarried in 2017andhave two children. Pierre Poilievrewas elected Conservativeleaderearlier this monthandAnaida Poilievre works as a political staffer on Parliament Hill.

In a statement posted to Twitter Monday,Poilievre said his office hascontacted the RCMP about the comments.

"My office has referred these comments to the RCMP to assess whether criminal charges should be laid," he said in the statement.

Jenni Byrne, the head of Poilievre's transition team, told CBC News she called the RCMP on Saturday after she was made aware of the threat. Byrne saidshe would be meeting with the Mountiesto discussthe situation.

"These men are dirtbags,"Poilievre said in the statement."Frankly, like most Canadians, until about a month ago I had never heard of Diagolon and these losers. They are all odious.

"This kind of garbage has no place in Canada. No one should face this abuse.

"People can attack my politics, they can call me names, they can protest my ideas and what I stand for. But threatening my wife and family is appalling and I will not tolerate it. Leave my family alone."

In an interview with The Canadian Press, MacKenzie said he was drinking when he made the comments andmeant no harm by them.

Politicians,journalists and other public figuresespecially women and people of colourhave been facing an increase in acts of harassment and threatsin recent months.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeaudenouncedthreats and hatred in response to a reporter'squestion Monday. Hedidn't mention Poilievrespecifically.

"No one should ever be subject to threats of violence orthe kind of hatred that we've seen increasingly in the public discourse, in the public sphere," Trudeau told a news conference.

"It's important that we all stand up and condemn that, and we all look for ways to ensure that everyone feels safe in this country."

NDPLeader Jagmeet Singh also denounced the threat.

"No one should be threatened with sexual violence. Not journalists, not politicians, not anyone's family, not anyone," Singh said in a tweet Monday.

He called on political leaders to work at stopping violent extremism.

"The rise of violent extremism in Canada should be a concern for all leaders. If there's political will, we can do something to stop it," he said.

Mark Gerretsen, a Liberal member of Parliament representing Kingston and the Islands, tweeted Monday that he also received asexual assault threat directed at his wife. He posted the message in his tweetand saidboth Kingston Police and the Parliamentary Protective Service haveopened files on it.

"I 100% agree with Pierre Poilievre on this," Gerrettsen said in the tweet. "Attack me all you want. Leave our families out of this."

Who is Jeremy MacKenzie?

MacKenzie, who is 36, has attracted attention for his support of the anti-vaccine mandate convoy protestwhich occupied Ottawaearlier this year, and forhis leadership offar-right group Diagolon.

A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence told CBC in an email that MacKenzie served in the Canadian Armed Forces. They said MacKenzieenrolled in 2003 and released in 2017, adding he was an infantryman with the Royal Canadian Regimentand that he had one deployment to Afghanistan.

An Instagram account bearing MacKenzie's name describes him asa "Sub-Standard podcaster, Sit-down comedian Super Villain, Sardonic Emperor of Diagolon, Very Scary."

The Saskatchewan RCMP charged MacKenziein Julywith assault, pointing a firearm, using a restricted weapon in a careless manner and mischief. Nova Scotia RCMPcharged MacKenzie with 13 gun-related charges in June.

Barbara Perry, director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, saidthatDiagolon aims to establish a "white ethnonationalist state" which would run diagonally from the Pacific Northwest through Canada to Florida.

Perry said her group started to look into Diagolon after police in Coutts, Alta., foundthegroup's patch on body armourwhile executing a search warrant. Two men arrested in relation toborderblockades in Couttsin February have ties to MacKenzie and Diagolon.

"So the idea is ...to accelerate some form of civil war," Perry said. "[MacKenzie] feels, and some of his followers believe, that we are already in the midst of a racial warin which white men, in particular, are losing, so it's time for them to stand up and fight back.

"So they would like to 'accelerate' that civil war, if you will, and replace the current order with this white ethnonationalist state."

Perry said that while Diagolonlacks concrete plans, the group's narrative is violent and aggressive and may inspire violence.

"The narratives themselves are dangerous because of the potential consequences," she said.

Perry saidthat MacKenziemay have seenAnaida Poilievre'sethnicity and gender, as well the fact that she has children with Pierre,as an opportunity to highlighthis racist, misogynist narrative.

Poilievre shook hands with MacKenzie at an event in August.In a statement issued to Global News, he denied knowingMacKenzie.

"My campaign events are public. There is no registration and anyone can walk in ... It is impossible to do a background check on every single person who attends my events," Poilievre said in the statement. "As I always have, I denounceracism and anyone who spreads it."

Perry saidMacKenziealsomay have threatenedPoilievrebecause ofPoilievre's new status as leader of the opposition.

"So now, to the extent that Poilievre is the leader of a primary political party in Canada, he is now part of themachinery. He is, because of that leadership role, part of the state to which [Diagolon is]so opposed," Perry said.