While the prospect of a progressive government running Alberta may worry some, others have threatened violence if the election doesn’t go their way.
Mark Thomas, a voter based in Calgary, Alberta, has threatened violence on NDP politicians if the upcoming election doesn’t lead to a United Conservative Party (UCP) victory.
Thomas has warned of a “civil war” if the NDP wins the election by fraud, claiming the only way the party can win is by “cheating.”
The voter stated he, along with other Albertans, will hunt NDP politicians down and “hold them accountable.”
The former deputy premier of Alberta, Thomas Lukaszuk, blamed premier Danielle Smith for this sort of rhetoric.
In a recent post, the former politician stated, “this is what UCP has encouraged and turned Alberta into.”
In another post, Lukaszuk tagged the RCMP. It is unclear if a formal report has been sent to police in Calgary.
Mark Thomas deleted his Twitter account after publishing the threatening post, presumably in response to backlash he received for his comments.
The account remains offline at the time of writing.
Thomas appears to have created a new account. He claims he lost his job after NDP supporters doxed him to his employer.
Toronto 99 has not been able to independently verify this information.
Online sleuths contacted Thomas’ former employer, and provided receipts that indicate he has not been employed with them for some time, calling his account into question.
Thomas contacted Toronto 99 via e-mail and provided a statement:
“In no way was a death threat meant or implied. It was a simple call for justice.
What I said may have been inflammatory, but there was no criminal intent.
I’m sure everyone has made a bad post or a bad judgment call at some point in time.”
To be fair to Thomas, he never explicitly mentioned violence. In his statement to Toronto 99, Thomas appears to backtrack from his previous comments, presumably to mitigate legal consequences.
However, his Twitter post was interpreted as a call to violence by many.
“Let’s just say Mark Thomas is already on the RCMP and Sheriff’s list being watched, along with anyone encouraging violence or threatening people,” wrote one Twitter user.
Danielle Smith is projected to win the upcoming provincial election in Alberta, according to recent polls.
However, as the creator of 338 Canada has noted, the race is still very close and it’s too early to know who will win.
Tempers have flared in many Canadian residents under the Trudeau government, with some Canadians demanding that Justin Trudeau and other politicians be hung for treason.
UPDATE: This article was updated on May 23, 2023 to add additional details. It was updated again on May 24 to include a statement from Mark Thomas. Read more about our editorial standards.
