“Police say while many are referring to the incident as a hate crime, there is no such offence in the criminal code.

There is, however, reference to hate propaganda as a crime, and public incitement of hatred.

That’s defined as “communication of statements in a public place that incites hatred against an identifiable group, where the incitement is likely to lead to a breach of the peace. An act of incitement encourages others to adopt and express these hateful views.”

So if me and my buddies went out to a bar and got ID’d, and we were racially profiled via verbal harassment, wouldn’t we be an “identifiable group”? Sure, our group has not disclosed any political affiliation to deem ourselves a target which could be identified, but the individuals involved in the confrontation have government issued ID which could allow identification of all present parties.

The RNC’s definition of “act of incitement” assumes that viewers of this person’s content has not already been compromised by similar behaviour streamed through social media.