UK tells citizens to avoid travelling to Canada over terrorism concerns
The United Kingdom firing warning shots with stark points of worrisome travel to Canada for it's citizens following an uplift in threats and attacks against the rather peaceful nation just north of the United States. The British Parliament told citizens traveling to Canada to be cautious and vigilant of media reports and any other threats.
"Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Canada. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. You should monitor media reports and remain vigilant," the United Kingdom told it's citizens that made any form of plans to travel to Canada's numerous tourist hotspots.
According to our sources in Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa - each of them conducting polls in each city - all cities, with the exception of Montreal, said they were not surprised by the UK's actions. Montrealers stated they were 'shocked' when they heard news of the declaration from London.
The act comes as terrorism has played an enormous part in 2017 within Canada's borders, the highest rate of small terror incidents in decades if not the country's entire history. This year alone, a large number of incidents took Canada by surprise.
In January 2017, a terror attack outside of Quebec City killed six people and injured at least 19 others when a white supremacist gunman entered the Islamic Cultural Center mosque and fired upon Muslim prayers. The suspect was called out for terrorism by Canada's entire government in rapid responses, specifically from Trudeau. The attack, the deadliest white supremacy attack in Canada since 1985, drew headlines.
In March of 2017, anti-Muslim protests drew counter-protesters to rally against each other in downtown Montreal resulting in violent clashes. In numerous different cases, citizens deliberately attacked each other (even with concealed weapons like knives) with the political intent of murder - the definition of terrorism.
In June of 2017, a woman allegedly wearing a headband promoting the ISIS flag took a golf club as well as drawing a large knife, potentially a machete, and threatened to kill anywhere up to 3 citizens inside of the Canadian Tire store. Police and government officials called the incident terror-related, as her court trial continues.
In September of 2017, two terror attacks shocked Canada in the Alberta city of Edmonton when a man, who pledged allegiance to ISIS, rammed his car into a police officer before escaping for several hours. Later on, he rammed into at least four pedestrians in Edmonton's downtown region before his stolen/rented U-Haul truck tipped over. Officials called both incidents two separate attacks intended on hitting a much larger target, should the truck not have tipped over.
Whether or not you think any of these attacks are relevant to Canada's terror threat, specifically when dealing with ISIS, the United Kingdom definitely isn't the first country to warn citizens and warn Canada's government of potential ISIS plots to terrorize their nation. In 2014, Switzerland warned Canada of plots. In 2015, Norway and Switzerland as well as France warned Canada of attacks. In 2016, Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland warned Canada. This year; an even larger number.
Last year drew extreme warnings for Canada when Swiss officials, in coordination with French police in France, may have terminated a local terror plot with connections to a terror cell in Canada. Then, as 2017 progressed, numerous terror incidents in America were related directly to Canada's terror problems.
A citizen from Montreal flew to Michigan and drew out a large enough knife to seriously injure his target; a security agent before a second on-duty agent took him down. The entire airport was temporarily put on lock down. The suspect pledged allegiance to ISIS and was shouting 'Allah Akbar' as he stabbed the security officer.
A few months later, police uncovered a plot consisting of a Canadian man who planned on bombing metro stations and subway trains across New York City. According to FBI reports, the plot also included plans to bomb numerous concerts in America's biggest city. The suspect didn't pledge allegiance, but FBI inquiries terminated with the confirmation that he'd have conducted the attacks in honor of ISIS. The suspect, once again, near the city of Montreal - a known hotspot for terrorists.