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“We’re drifting into a scenario of increased polarization, and it’s not an advisable time to contribute to that, wittingly or unwittingly,” Peterson said.

Elizabeth said she might have been a bit hasty to put the word “fascism” in the event title, but defended its use.

“The seeds of fascism, that’s how they start. It starts with this ‘othering’ of people,” she said. “Regardless of whether or not they themselves are preaching strict fascist ideology, who are they preaching to?”

Elizabeth said she has received death threats as a result of protesting the panel. She sent a screenshot of one of them to the National Post, which said, “Im coming after your kids you bitch. You just wait.” She said her step-mother has received similar threats.

“It really just goes to show what kind of calibre of people they are that they would do something like that,” Elizabeth said.

The seeds of fascism, that's how they start. It starts with this 'othering' of people

What happens next, Peterson said, “depends on how rapidly the positive feedback loop between extremists on both ends of the political spectrum expands, and how effectively sensible people in the middle are at dampening it.

“It’s like people are batting back and forth a bomb that gets bigger every time someone hits it,” he said. “They’re not attending to the fact that with each mischaracterization they alienate a larger part of the population. It’s a very bad idea.”

Peterson repeatedly echoed U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that ideologues on both sides were responsible for violence.