Claims have spread online this week that a white nationalist group’s demonstration at a First Nation in British Columbia, which has been denounced by authorities as “disgusting” and “cowardly,” was in fact a false flag operation. The claims say the action was the work of government agents with purported goals ranging from stifling free speech to influencing the upcoming provincial election. But a number of elements, including statements by prominent members of the organization, point to the action being carried out by white nationalists. THE CLAIM On Sunday, a group of masked individuals dropped a banner from an overpass in Kamloops, B.C., with a message mocking reports of unmarked graves at the nearby site of the former residential school on Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation. As photos of the men and their banner spread online and politicians weighed in, some users on X expressed skepticism. “They have masks on because it’s fake. They’re government plants. They want to pretend there is some kind of ‘threat’ from ‘hate groups’ in Canada so they can justify further crackdowns on free speech and expression,” one user said in her post Sunday evening, which has received close to 48,000 views. Other users linked the banner drop to the B.C. election campaign, suggesting it was aimed at damaging either the provincial Conservatives or the OneBC party. “Now on Sunday a group of 20-30 masked ‘white supremacists’ showed up right at the center of a political minefield for Conservatives.... It’s all just a little too convenient,” one user said in a Sept. 28 post that had drawn close to 84,000 views as of Sept. 30. THE FACTS Images and a video posted of the demonstration clearly show many members are wearing clothing with logos associated with Second Sons Canada. The Canadian Anti-Hate Network describes Second Sons Canada as a far-right, members-only organization for men inspired by militant white nationalist groups in other countries, often engaging in short-lived demonstrations and training sessions across Canada. The Second Sons website says the group was established in 2024 and functions as a “fraternal organization dedicated to health and fitness, camaraderie, activism and friendly support for those who share our values.” In past posts from Second Sons social media accounts, members can be seen wearing the same crests and T-shirt design featuring the Vimy Ridge monument that some members wore in the photo of Sunday’s demonstration. Evan Balgord, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, said the group’s merchandise is restricted to members who are vetted before they can join. For that reason, he said it would be highly unlikely for dozens of people to impersonate them. “Nobody can get their hands on this Second Sons merchandise,” he said. Furthermore, a few prominent members of the group publicly acknowledged the gathering on their social media accounts. In a recorded livestream on YouTube on Sept. 27, one of the members referred to the banner questioning reports of human burials at the residential school site. “When we go out and do something like this, my God, does the media come running for comments, pictures, whatever they can from us,” he said. Second Sons founder Jeremy MacKenzie responded on X to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s denunciation of the action as hateful by writing, “Thank you for confirming that an honest question is considered ‘hate’ by Ottawa.” Following reports of the group’s presence circulating online, the Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation said it was working with the RCMP and exploring additional security measures. “White supremacy will not instil fear in generations of survivors and intergenerational survivors who have already carried fear for far too long,” the chief’s office said in a statement. The RCMP’s Kamloops detachment said its officers promptly engaged with the group after receiving reports about their presence. The police said the group later left the area and continued to move through different parts of the city. The statement described the banner and masks as a “cowardly attempt to avoid accountability for actions and messages that are clearly intended to intimidate, provoke fear and division.” In a video message posted on provincial NDP Leader David Eby’s X account on Sept. 27, he described the gathering as “disgusting behaviour” aimed at provoking fear and intimidation. In a Sept. 28 post on X, Carney called the gathering “a cowardly act” that has no place in Canada. “This week, we will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is a stark reminder of our shared responsibility to confront the devastating legacy of the residential school system and the consequences still felt today,” he said in the post. “Courageous survivors shared the truth so that all Canadians could take up the work of reconciliation.” More than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools, the last of which closed in 1996. Thousands of children died in the institutions, and researchers at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation have identified 63 children who died at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. In May 2021, the Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation announced ground-penetrating radar had uncovered what were believed to be 215 unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops residential school. This report by Timon Johnson of The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2026.
