Proud Boys: They hate women and persecute Muslims

Shaimaa Hafezy

On Friday, March 19, a federal jury in the United States indicted four members of the far-right Proud Boys group of being involved in the Capitol riots during the certification of US President Joe Biden’s election victory.

The Proud Boys was founded in 2016 by British-Canadian right-wing activist Gavin McInnes. It is a group known for its anti-Muslim and anti-women rhetoric.

The group was classified as extremist by the FBI, and Canada announced that it would classify the right-wing group as a terrorist entity in an attempt to suppress violent extremism with ideological motives in the country.

The group was also included in a long list of international terrorist organizations including ISIS, al-Qaeda and the Somali Al-Shabaab movement.

Despite all the accusations, the group’s members insist that they are not actually racists, which is evident in the statements of its current leader, Enrique Tarrio, who is of Afro-Cuban origin.

Press and social media platforms monitored gatherings and marches of group members carrying guns and other weapons, and a number of them were convicted of committing violent crimes against left-wing groups and activists.

What do we know about the group?

Proud Boys is a name inspired by a song, and members usually wear a uniform consisting of black and yellow hats and shirts.

The group has been linked to other far-right rallies and protest marches that have turned violent, such as the infamous “Unify the Right” march in North Carolina in 2017.

It has also been a regular manifestation of the nationwide anti-racist protests in the United States sparked by the murder of African-American George Floyd.

The Proud Boys have been known to intimidate anti-racist protesters, and in some places incite violence and fighting.

Several critics said that former President Donald Trump’s refusal to explicitly denounce the violence caused by white supremacists and militia groups during his first presidential debate with Joe Biden strengthened the far right.

The activities of the Proud Boys also extend beyond the United States. In 2017, five members of the Canadian branch – who happened to be soldiers in the Canadian Armed Forces – disrupted an indigenous party.

Capitol events

The events of the Capitol building put the extremist group in the crosshairs of fire and confrontation, and many of its members are currently facing legal charges for their role in storming the congressional building on January 6, as well as rallying angry supporters of President Donald Trump.