Vancouver police make arrest at home with links to designated terrorist group

Vancouver Police Investigate Hate Crime at East 1st Avenue Residence

Vancouver police recently conducted a hate crimes investigation at a residence in the 1800 block of East 1st Avenue near Victoria Drive. One individual was taken into custody as part of this investigation, but has since been released pending further inquiries, according to VPD spokesman Sgt. Steve Addison.

The home in question belongs to Charlotte Lynne Kates, a director of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network. Last month, Samidoun was designated as a terrorist entity by the Canadian government in collaboration with the U.S.

This is not the first time Kates has come under scrutiny by law enforcement. In May, she was arrested and released by the VPD after a video surfaced on social media showing her expressing support for Hamas and referring to certain terrorist organizations as heroes during a rally.

Neighbours of Kates were startled by the police presence at her residence. One neighbour, who preferred to remain anonymous, reported that the VPD arrived with an armoured vehicle and officers in tactical gear, even breaking a window in Kates’s home. Another neighbour, Darian Tourand, described Kates and her housemate as “lovely people” who are passionate about advocating for human rights.

However, not all neighbours share the same sentiment. Franco Sabellico, who resides in the same block in the Commercial Drive neighbourhood, expressed concern about having individuals associated with terrorist groups living nearby.

Samidoun has ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a designated terrorist organization in Canada, the U.S., and the European Union. The VPD’s major crime section and emergency response team are investigating the individual in question under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, which addresses public incitement of hatred.

The incident has sparked debate and raised questions about the boundaries between freedom of expression and hate speech, as well as the implications of affiliations with groups designated as terrorist entities. The community remains divided on the matter, with some advocating for understanding and others voicing concerns about safety and security in the neighbourhood.