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He confirmed to Britain’s Guardian newspaper in an article published Monday that the FBI’s decision to categorize the Proud Boys as an extremist group was revealed to him in an August briefing by the U.S. federal investigation bureau.

The Proud Boys made headlines in Canada last year when five members of the group, all Canadian Forces members, disrupted an protest by Indigenous activists in Halifax. The military personnel did not face criminal or disciplinary charges after the incident and returned to their units and regular duties. One of the five left the Canadian military.

The FBI’s categorization of the Proud Boys does not appear to have any new impact on the Canadian government or military’s view of the organization.

The Canadian military does not maintain a specific list of groups that are inappropriate for its members to join, the military noted in a statement sent Monday to Postmedia. Military personnel are “expected to use sound judgment and conduct themselves in a manner that reflects well on the CAF and the country they represent,” the statement added.

“While it would be inappropriate for us to comment on the policies of foreign law enforcement agencies, we will take this opportunity to reiterate that all forms of hate and discrimination runs completely counter to the CAF’s military ethos,” the statement noted.

The RCMP publishes a Terrorism and Violent Extremism Guide but the Proud Boys is not on that list.

Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, said the department can’t comment on operational security matters. “Hate speech and hate crimes are intolerable in Canada,” he said. “Canada’s law enforcement agencies take all security threats very seriously, including those posed by right-wing extremists, and have robust measures in place to address them.”

News of the FBI’s decision comes as a number of Proud Boys face criminal charges in New York after a melee with left-wing protesters last month. Five members of the group have been arrested so far, including one who was charged with attempted gang assault, attempted assault, riot and criminal possession of a weapon. New York police are seeking to charge a total of nine Proud Boys in connection with the brawl that started after a speech by McInnes.