A recent The Fifth Estate and Radio-Canada investigation has revealed a secret plan the Canadian government had to detain thousands of Canadian communists in a fascist policy called PROFUNC. PROFUNC stands for PROminent FUNCtionaries of the Communist Party.
The plan was for this program to be initiated if the was a “national emergency”. The program included a list that contained the names with age, physical description, photos, vehicle information, and housing, even the location of exist the targets may use in avoiding detention. The lists also contained the names and descriptions of their children.
This program would allow the Canadian government to detain people indefinitely without trial or even an arrest warrant. It would also give the government power to use “severe discipline”, in other words engage in torture. It was even made understood that a target was to be shot if the attempted to avoid detention.
According to the CBC:
“First devised in 1950 by RCMP Commissioner Stuart Taylor Wood, PROFUNC listed some 16,000 suspected Communists and 50,000 sympathizers who would have to be watched, and possibly interned, in a national security emergency.”
This is was a blatant attack on the rights of ordinary Canadians. This was a blatant attack on those would dare question the government or its policies. This revelation lays bare the inherent fascist nature of the Canadian government towards the population.
This is a clear message to those of us in Canada who always shake our heads at the US War on “Terror” and say things like, “that doesn’t happen here, we live in a better place.” We have nothing to be arrogant about; we can be just as bad and even worse in some situations as we paint ourselves as “peacekeepers” to deny our fascist roll in imperialism.
I am under no illusion that something like this does not exist now. The government of Canada has attacked people of the Islamic faith on the most flimsy of pretexts; we should never assume they don’t have these lists for us too. I know firsthand what it’s like to be accused of being a terrorist for being suspected of labour organizing.
It’s funny when I think about how I just responded to the Communist Youth Leagues position on non-violence. I certainly hope that comrades in the CPC would respond with violence if something like this happened today. I know I am prepared to legally and physically defend myself from any such police actions in the future.
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