Another terror attack during democratic elections (1 Viewer)

[Infinite Chaos]

I'm speculating but there is a worrying trend with news of this morning's horrible news from Canada of a car attack just before the elections in Canada.

terrorist attack

does anyone have a good source what happened and how it was motivated? I only found shocking life videos. my condolence to all victims and their beloved

debatepolitics.com

Lapu Lapu festival: Man arrested after car drives into Vancouver street festival and kills multiple people, police say

The Filipino community's Lapu Lapu Day festival was under way when the incident happened.

www.bbc.co.uk

We saw similar in Germany where Islamist attacks shaped the final election result and had a sudden rise in support for the AfD. I remember thinking at the time that the worst thing for peaceful muslims in Germany was for an extremist Afghan to suddenly mow down innocents in Germany just before a finely-tipped election.

Munich car attack jolts German election as politicians amp up migration rhetoric

Likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz calls for tougher law and order, saying “Something has to change.”

www.politico.eu

There was some short lived speculation in German press of Russia being behind these attacks

Germany wary of claims Russian influence behind spate of attacks

German security officials say they are examining possible indications of foreign influence in a series of attacks.

www.bbc.co.uk

Digital intelligence analyst Steven Broschart told the public broadcaster ZDF's Terra X History programme that the searches were highly unusual: "it's pretty unlikely that we're talking about a coincidence here".

He spoke of Russian internet searches for webcams in Mannheim's market square before the 31 May attack took place.

Personally, I think more research needs to be done but these attacks could become regular feature by some external actor working to ensure a shift in public opinion against both immigrants and towards extreme parties. Certainly, our security forces need to be even more watchful in pre election periods across our democratic nations in future.

 

[Rumpel]

It has become routine

 

[HonestJoe]

Personally, I think more research needs to be done but these attacks could become regular feature by some external actor working to ensure a shift in public opinion against both immigrants and towards extreme parties. Certainly, our security forces need to be even more watchful in pre election periods across our democratic nations in future.

I think we need to be very careful with speculating about conspiracies. If nothing else, you only risk feeding the problems or fear and division.

The fact is that human beings are much better at making mistakes than we are at making plans and it certainly doesn't require any secret organisation for these incidents to occur. There are a lot of people with various long-term or short-term mental health issues and many of them are capable or acting out in ways that are harmful to themselves or others (intentionally or not). They can also be highly influenced by what they see and hear, which means when there are a series of similar incidents splashed all over international news, it is perfectly possible to see "copy-cat" incidents afterwards. In pervious years, it was knife attacks in public places and now we have a series of attacks using vehicles.

Even if there is any malicious influence for socio-political purposes, the actual attackers are still clearly not thinking rationally and could be argued as being as much a victim as anyone else involved. While there are certainly terrorist and extremist groups who would be willing and able to carry out such attacks, security services should (and generally do) work hard on managing those extreme risks. For the rest of us though, rather than obsessing over mysterious groups that might be out there to harm us, I'd rather focus on the people we know are out there who are suffering mental illness and who need support and treatment so they don't end up hurting themselves or anyone else.

 

[Sweden]

I think we need to be very careful with speculating about conspiracies. If nothing else, you only risk feeding the problems or fear and division.

The fact is that human beings are much better at making mistakes than we are at making plans and it certainly doesn't require any secret organisation for these incidents to occur. There are a lot of people with various long-term or short-term mental health issues and many of them are capable or acting out in ways that are harmful to themselves or others (intentionally or not). They can also be highly influenced by what they see and hear, which means when there are a series of similar incidents splashed all over international news, it is perfectly possible to see "copy-cat" incidents afterwards. In pervious years, it was knife attacks in public places and now we have a series of attacks using vehicles.

Even if there is any malicious influence for socio-political purposes, the actual attackers are still clearly not thinking rationally and could be argued as being as much a victim as anyone else involved. While there are certainly terrorist and extremist groups who would be willing and able to carry out such attacks, security services should (and generally do) work hard on managing those extreme risks. For the rest of us though, rather than obsessing over mysterious groups that might be out there to harm us, I'd rather focus on the people we know are out there who are suffering mental illness and who need support and treatment so they don't end up hurting themselves or anyone else.

Ok, let's ignore Islamic terror if it makes you feel better. Alternatively we could accept that Islam is our self-declared enemy, which seeks to replace democracy and freedom of thought with a primitive totalitarian ideology.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

I think we need to be very careful with speculating about conspiracies. If nothing else, you only risk feeding the problems or fear and division.

The fact is that human beings are much better at making mistakes than we are at making plans and it certainly doesn't require any secret organisation for these incidents to occur. There are a lot of people with various long-term or short-term mental health issues and many of them are capable or acting out in ways that are harmful to themselves or others (intentionally or not). They can also be highly influenced by what they see and hear, which means when there are a series of similar incidents splashed all over international news, it is perfectly possible to see "copy-cat" incidents afterwards. In pervious years, it was knife attacks in public places and now we have a series of attacks using vehicles.

Even if there is any malicious influence for socio-political purposes, the actual attackers are still clearly not thinking rationally and could be argued as being as much a victim as anyone else involved. While there are certainly terrorist and extremist groups who would be willing and able to carry out such attacks, security services should (and generally do) work hard on managing those extreme risks. For the rest of us though, rather than obsessing over mysterious groups that might be out there to harm us, I'd rather focus on the people we know are out there who are suffering mental illness and who need support and treatment so they don't end up hurting themselves or anyone else.

It's the repeat coincidence that worries me, whether this is the sign of some external organisation or simple mental health issues that are surfacing at the time of elections is yet to be discerned.

 

[Jetboogieman]

Ok, let's ignore Islamic terror if it makes you feel better. Alternatively we could accept that Islam is our self-declared enemy, which seeks to replace democracy and freedom of thought with a primitive totalitarian ideology.

From where I’m sitting the greatest threat to me is the far right wing fascist people who would use this terrible crime to curtail freedom.

 

[multivita-man]

I'm speculating but there is a worrying trend with news of this morning's horrible news from Canada of a car attack just before the elections in Canada.

terrorist attack

does anyone have a good source what happened and how it was motivated? I only found shocking life videos. my condolence to all victims and their beloved

debatepolitics.com

Lapu Lapu festival: Man arrested after car drives into Vancouver street festival and kills multiple people, police say

The Filipino community's Lapu Lapu Day festival was under way when the incident happened.

www.bbc.co.uk

We saw similar in Germany where Islamist attacks shaped the final election result and had a sudden rise in support for the AfD. I remember thinking at the time that the worst thing for peaceful muslims in Germany was for an extremist Afghan to suddenly mow down innocents in Germany just before a finely-tipped election.

Munich car attack jolts German election as politicians amp up migration rhetoric

Likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz calls for tougher law and order, saying “Something has to change.”

www.politico.eu

There was some short lived speculation in German press of Russia being behind these attacks

Germany wary of claims Russian influence behind spate of attacks

German security officials say they are examining possible indications of foreign influence in a series of attacks.

www.bbc.co.uk

Personally, I think more research needs to be done but these attacks could become regular feature by some external actor working to ensure a shift in public opinion against both immigrants and towards extreme parties. Certainly, our security forces need to be even more watchful in pre election periods across our democratic nations in future.

Islamists like it when right-wing governments are in power. Not because they identify with the right-wing agenda, but because they know right-wing governments will resort to racism and abuses of power, which are great recruiting tools for new terrorists.

 

[Evilroddy]

What a damned tragedy. At this point nine dead and many more injured. That is compounded by the seemingly intentional nature of the event. That this happened less than two days before a Federal election may be a factor or may be a coincidence. However it is still too soon to tell. Vancouver Police are saying that they have ruled out terrorism although the car driver is "known to police". So I think it is premature to attribute this to malign political forces, either foreign or domestic, at this point. As the investigation reveals more detail a better analysis can be done and if the facts then support an act of intentional domestic or foreign terrorism, then the OP's hypothesis might have greater merit. Until then it is too soon and too uncertain to debate this meaningfully, even if many here (myself included) are wondering whether this is part of a bigger picture.

My condolences and heart felt sorrow to all who lost loved ones or friends and to the many who were injured in this large-scale vehicular killing.

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

 

[HonestJoe]

Ok, let's ignore Islamic terror if it makes you feel better. Alternatively we could accept that Islam is our self-declared enemy, which seeks to replace democracy and freedom of thought with a primitive totalitarian ideology.

What the heck are you talking about? The OP was suggesting conspiracies to cause these events to influence domestic elections, specifically in favour of right wing or anti-migration candidates. I was challenging the likelihood of that, which would suggest individual Islamist motives being more likely (though the reports from Vancouver suggest no evidence of a terrorist motive at all in that case).

As I said, even where there is an underlying terrorist motive, the kind of people who are led to carrying out such attacks are not going to be of sound mind at the time by definition, and there seems to be increasing evidence of more indirect influences seeking to influence any possible vulnerable individuals than formal terror cells (coming from a range of political directions). Regardless of who you prefer to blame, I don't think it's helpful to imagine any kind of powerful organisations with grand conspiracies behind this kind of thing when all the evidence tends not to support that. There are very real problems, including (but not only) Islamist extremism, but if we actually want to improve things, we need to address those realities, however much more complicated and difficult they turn out to be.

 

[HonestJoe]

It's the repeat coincidence that worries me, whether this is the sign of some external organisation or simple mental health issues that are surfacing at the time of elections is yet to be discerned.

I'm not sure it's that much of a repeat. There have been incidents like this outside election periods as well as during them and even if the immediacy of elections are a factor, that doesn't really change the likely underlying causes or triggers. As I said, speculating about secret organisations with grand conspiracies with zero evidence only risks distracting from all the real issues we're all too aware of.

 

[Sweden]

From where I’m sitting the greatest threat to me is the far right wing fascist people who would use this terrible crime to curtail freedom.

You are fortunate. Elsewhere there are those who see Islam as by far the greatest danger.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

We saw similar in Germany where Islamist attacks

Ok, let's ignore Islamic terror if it makes you feel better.

Elsewhere there are those who see Islam as by far the greatest danger.

Must be a MUSLIM terror attack, right? RIGHT?

It never takes very long for those with preconceived notions to express their bigotry.

AND I will bet my bottom dollar, when it is revealed who the attacker is, some will still say "well, maybe he IS a Muslim" ................

The 30-year-old accused, believed to be an Asian man
"We are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism," Vancouver police said on X.

MSN

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/multiple-dead-after-vehicle-drives-into-crowd-vancouver-street-festival-police-2025-04-27/

 

[Sweden]

Must be a MUSLIM terror attack, right? RIGHT?

It never takes very long for those with preconceived notions to express their bigotry.

AND I will bet my bottom dollar, when it is revealed who the attacker is, some will still say "well, maybe he IS a Muslim" ................

MSN

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/multiple-dead-after-vehicle-drives-into-crowd-vancouver-street-festival-police-2025-04-27/

Not all terror attacks are motivated by Islam, only say 90% of them. That's the case in Europe, may be different in BC. Pretty free with the 'bigot' word are you not? Must be fun riding around on your white feeling ever so superior.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

Not all terror attacks are motivated by Islam, only say 90% of them. That's the case in Europe, may be different in BC. Pretty free with the 'bigot' word are you not? Must be fun riding around on your white feeling ever so superior.

Yet, a BC attack already spurred some to make comments about Islam and Muslims, go figure that out.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

Islamists like it when right-wing governments are in power. Not because they identify with the right-wing agenda, but because they know right-wing governments will resort to racism and abuses of power, which are great recruiting tools for new terrorists.

Extremists on all sides like to have a foil to work against.

I'm not sure it's that much of a repeat. There have been incidents like this outside election periods as well as during them and even if the immediacy of elections are a factor, that doesn't really change the likely underlying causes or triggers. As I said, speculating about secret organisations with grand conspiracies with zero evidence only risks distracting from all the real issues we're all too aware of.

True, but it's not as if there aren't agencies out there that will either add fuel or take from this for their purpose. And of course I'm aware of prior incidents where elections were not involved but ruling everything out is too early in my book.

Let's see what the investigation comes up with - not the immediate one but the one after everything has been sifted and sorted.

Yet, a BC attack already spurred some to make comments about Islam and Muslims, go figure that out.

My suspicions are actually about Russians. That's why I posted the comment about the suspicious camera access that Germany reported: and for info, I'm not saying the guy was Russian. I'm just finding it the beginnings of coincidence these recent attacks are happening during election campaigns.