Those "Proud Boys" Who Disrupted A Mi’kmaq Ceremony Will Not Be Kicked Out Of The Military After All

The military had warned of possible "severe consequences."

The group of Proud Boys who disrupted a Mi'kmaq ceremony in Halifax on Canada Day will not be kicked out of the military, according to the Canadian Armed Forces.

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In a statement provided to BuzzFeed Canada, the CAF said it had investigated the actions of the five members after having relieved them of active duty following the incident.

"With the exception of one individual who has since left the CAF, the members are being returned to their operational units and regular duties," the statement reads.

The CAF said "appropriate measures" had been taken to address the incident, but did not provide details. The statement added that "further inappropriate behaviour" could see the four remaining service members booted from the military.

A group of Indigenous people had gathered at the statue of Edward Cornwallis to bring attention to the Halifax city founder's 1749 Scalping Proclamation when the five men showed up.

They came dressed in black Fred Perry polo shirts, a look that has been adopted as an unofficial uniform for the Proud Boys, a self-described "Western chauvinist" group founded by right-wing media personality Gavin McInnes.

“This was Mi’Kmaq territory. This is now Canada. This is Halifax, Nova Scotia,” one of the men said in an argument. “This is a British colony.”

Halifax is built on the unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq, who have lived in the area for about 13,000 years.

The Proud Boys left after about 10 minutes, and the ceremony continued. Top military brass, including Canada's defence minister, quickly put out statements distancing the military from the actions of the five men and warned that they "could face severe consequences, including release from the forces."