Category Archives: Proud Boys

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) Several people who appeared to be former President Donald Trump supporters protested in downtown Raleigh Saturday afternoon.

By mid-afternoon, Proud Boys and Trump supporters were on one side of the parking lot at the intersection of Jones and Blount streets.

Police were standing between them and another group of people in the area across from the Executive Mansion. The other group appeared to be anti-Trump.

The Trump supporters were talking about people not being required to wear masks, freedom is a birthright and COVID-19 vaccines.

People at the rally said it was a planned worldwide rally for freedom and democracy. A CBS 17 reporter at the scene recognized at least one person who had been at the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6.

At least two trucks that appeared to belong to Trump supporters were driven away from the area and did not appear to have license plates.

Counter-protesters asked Raleigh police officers why they did not stop drivers who were driving without license plates.

The event was over by 3:30 p.m.

Raleigh police said no one was cited or arrested during the events.

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Pro-Trump group and Proud Boys gather in downtown Raleigh - CBS17.com

Raleigh, N.C. About 100 people gathered in downtown Raleigh on Saturday afternoon for a rally that supported police and protested COVID-19 rules in North Carolina.

Among the group were people representing the Proud Boys and Reopen NC. Speakers voiced opposition toward the COVID-19 vaccine and COVID-19 policies. Those who talked expressed a general pro-law enforcement stance.

Several speakers addressed the crowd in a parking lot through a microphone amid counter protests from a nearby sidewalk along Blount Street. A line of Raleigh police officers separated the groups.

Counter protesters from the group NC Born were also there. There was much shouting and yelling from both sides, but there were no physical incidents. Counter protesters used sirens and megaphones in effort to drown out the other side.

Several men could be seen wearing clothing with the Proud Boys logo. Earlier this week, four men described as leaders of the Proud Boys were charged in the U.S. Capitol riots.

Several people listening to the speeches carried large American flags. Others had flags supporting former U.S. President Donald Trump.

In 2020, Reopen NC held several gatherings in Raleigh to protest Gov. Roy Cooper's executive orders that prevented some businesses from being able to operate. In February, Gov. Cooper ended a nightly curfew designed to limit the spread of the virus and eased other pandemic-related restrictions.

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Proud Boys among several groups to lead rally in downtown Raleigh - WRAL.com

Two more leading figures of the far-right Proud Boys group have been charged in connection with the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Zach Rehl, the president of the group's chapter in Philadelphia, and Charles Donohoe, a Proud Boys leader from North Carolina, were indicted on Wednesday, The New York Times reported.

Two others who had already been charged over the riot in which five people diedJoe Biggs, who organizes rallies for the group, and Ethan Nordean, the self-described "sergeant of arms" of the Seattle chapter of the Proud Boyshave also been accused of conspiracy connected to the claims against Rehl and Donohoe.

Thirteen people associated with the Proud Boys have now been accused of taking part in the storming of the Capitol, five of whom are prominent members.

The New York Times reports that Rehl is charged with conspiring to interfere with law enforcement officers at the Capitol and obstruct the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory in Congress.

Photos allegedly showing Rehl taking part in the January 6 attack were recently published by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Other images have been posted on social media that reportedly show him smoking a cigarette in the office of Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley during the riot.

Rehl is said to have led the Proud Boys Philadelphia chapter since at least 2018 and was seen talking with local officers outside a police union lodge in the city following a visit from former Vice President Mike Pence.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Greensboro told The Raleigh News and Observer that Donohue was arrested on Wednesday in Kernersville, North Carolina, and made his first court appearance a short while later.

It is not yet clear what Donohoe is accused of doing on January 6, but he faces the same charges as Rehl.

Ethan Nordean, also known as Rufio Panman, is said to have been the de facto leader of the Proud Boys on January 6 since the group's chairman, Enrique Tarrio, was barred from Washington D.C. following his arrest two days earlier.

Nordean is accused by prosecutors of giving orders and organizing groups of Proud Boys to attack and gain entry into the Capitol building.

He is charged with obstructing or impeding an official proceeding, aiding and abetting, and knowingly entering or remaining in restricted buildings or grounds and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Nordean was released from custody on March 3 pending his trial after a judge ruled he did not pose a danger to the community and was not a flight risk.

Joe Biggs is one of the most prominent Proud Boys figures to be accused of storming the Capitol. He was charged in January with a number of offenses including attempting to obstruct, influence or impede an official proceeding before Congress.

According to the Times, Biggs and Nordean are accused of leading a mob of about 100 Proud Boys members and supporters through the streets of D.C. before attacking the Capitol.

Biggs admitted to the FBI that he did enter the building, but said he did so through the already open doors. Biggs denied being aware of any plans to storm the Capitol beforehand.

He was released from custody soon after his arrest in January.

Nick Ochs, leader and founder of Proud Boys Hawaii, was arrested at Honolulu airport on January 7.

He was originally charged with unlawful entry into restricted buildings or grounds, but charges of attempting to stop, delay and hinder the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election were added later.

Ochswho uploaded a picture of himself inside the building with the caption "hello from the Capital lol"claims he only entered to cover the events as a reporter for the group "Murder the Media."

Ochs and his co-defendant, Nicholas DeCarlo, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them during a court appearance in mid-February.

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Every Proud Boys Leader Arrested Over Capitol Riot So Far - Newsweek

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Proud Boy Christopher Worrell will be taken to Washington, D.C., and remain in custody until his trial, a judge ruledin response to charges against himlinked to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said that the evidence against Worrell, 49, of East Naples,met the government criteria for denying bond. She said her decision included Worrelldispersing pepper spray gel on officers, his level of preparation, his history of intimidating and threatening behavior and his refusal to comply with FBI orders.

"The weight of evidence is strong here and favors detention," she said.

More: New attorney retained for East Naples man arrested in connection to Capitol riots

More: East Naples man arrested for involvement in Capitol riot believed to be 'Proud Boy'

Christopher Worrell of East Naples at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a photo included in an FBI statement of facts a federal magistrate signed March 10, 2021.(Photo: Photo courtesy of the FBI)

Howell ordered Worrell transferred from Tampa to a Washington, D.C., holding facility until trial. His next court appointment is at 10 a.m. April 8, unless he is indicted before that, she said.

John Pierce, former attorney for Kyle Rittenhouse, is representing Worrell. Rittenhouse was charged after he fatally shot two men with an AR-15-style rifle on Aug. 25, the third night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Pierce cited riots around the country, including the one in Wisconsin,as reason why Worrell was wearing a tactical vest, carried pepper spray gel and had an ear piece to communicate with people the government identified as other Proud Boys.

The prosecution had said the evidence shows that Worell and other Proud Boys listened to the president before walking to the Capitol.

The judge didn't buy Worrell's reasoning for his preparation.

"We have marches all the time in Washington, D.C.," she said. "This is not a march. This is a mob of assault on the Capitol,not following directions of police and breaking police lines. This was not a protest march. And if the defendant thoughtthat 's what he was doing and not understanding why hes sitting there, that gives me pause."

FBI agents arrested Worrell on March 12, at the home he shares with his girlfriend, Trish Priller, an executive assistant for the Naples Daily News. Worrell was taken to Tampa, where he's spent the last week, held without bond.

Prosecutors revealed Friday that Worrell was not at his home during the raid, saying he was 3 hours away camping. He was immediately contacted and instructed to turn himself in at the nearest FBI office.

They said Worrell instead told them that he would meet them at his home. The lawyers said he was emotional, they didn't know what he planned or where he was specifically and he had access to a cell phone for at least two hours past what an arrested person would normally have.

"He had three hours to think on his drive," prosecutors said.

Howell later cited the exchange and a 2009 arrest for impersonating an officer as a reason to deny Worrell bail. Court documents indicate he saw a woman drive through a yellow light, flashed a badge at her, and yelled at her. She called police, who found a badge, guns, handcuffs and a heavy duty flashlight in his front seat. He is not an officer.

Howell said that history, coupled with the FBI arrest, is a significant "backdrop" to imposing his own authority to the point of breaking the law."

She also questioned both attorneys about the significance of Worrell, pictured with Proud Boys, flashing an "OK" sign,which has gained ground as a White Power symbol. Two photos show Worrell with his thumb and index finger making the shape of an "O" or a "P" and three fingers forming a "W", standing for White Power.

As of Feb. 3, at least a half dozen people charged for their involvement in the Capitol riots were linked to the Proud Boys,an extremist group with ties to white nationalism.

White Boys adamantly deny any connection to the racist 'alt-right.'

Worrell's statement to the FBI in late January, included "the Proud Boys were not a racist white supremacist group like the media tries to portray."

Howell said because Worrell used the hand sign, she wasn't convinced of his statement.

Authorities investigating the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol say two extremist groups that traveled to Washington along with thousands of other Trump supporters weren't whipped into an impulsive frenzy by President Donald Trump. (March 10) AP Domestic

Previously: Prosecution: East Naples man sprayed pepper spray toward law enforcement officers at Capitol riot

More: Naples man among those arrested in Washington D.C. after violent Capitol siege

Howell questioned the government lawyers extensively on whether the pepper spray gel could be considered a dangerous weapon.

The prosecuting attorney explained the gel is "67 times more powerful than hot sauce," that the brand used was "double the average strength of other pepper sprays" and had better stopping power.

While Pierce told Howell that Worrell didn't intentionally spray officers, telling him that he was spraying another person in the mob who attacked older women, she pointed out that photos of the incident that Capitol police offers were in the line of the spray; and the defense did not provide anything different.She questioned why he wouldn't let police handle the incident and said it appeared that the police were his target.

By spraying the gel, a half-dozen officers broke the line to seek water to wash their eyes. That police line was joining another line closer to the building, where the mob broke through and into the Capitol.

The FBI received a tip that Worrellparticipated in the riots on Jan. 6 from someone who knows him, according to the prosecution.

While he was being arrested, Worrell told law enforcement that he knew the tipster, and he also said he knew the Twitter user who posted pictures of him at the capital.

Howell said that when Worrell told agents that when he caught up to the Twitter user,the FBI would be coming for him again."

"That's bold intimations of threats and thatraises a witness intimidation concern," Howell said, adding it figured into her decision to not grant bond..

As far as the government is aware, Worrell did not enter the U.S. Capitol building.

"Yes, he was definitely on the grounds, he felt that was his right," Pierce said. "But he loves his country, he was absolutely adamant that neither him norany of the friends that he was with enter any federal building."

The judge wasnot swayed.

"He understands my skepticism about him saying he was emphatically not going into Capitol building because he went into a restricted area, he was not following police commands and, as part of this crowd, mob, he was trying to stopthewhole reason they were there was to stop the count of electoral college votes. Why was he even there then?"

Worrell faces fivecharges connected to the Jan. 6 riot, according to the latest document filed by the prosecution:

Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority while carrying a dangerous weapon

Knowingly engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct in any restricted building or grounds while a dangerous weapon

Knowingly engaging in an act of physical violence in any restricted building or grounds while a dangerous weapon

Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds

Obstruction of Justice/Congress

Naples Daily News reporter Jake Allen contributed to this report.

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D.C. Judge orders East Naples man with Proud Boys ties to remain jailed through trial - Naples Daily News

Gottheimer Announces New Steps to Combat Violent Extremist Groups, Calls for Proud Boys & Other International Extremist Groups to be Officially Designated as Terrorist Organizations

Provides Law Enforcement & Intelligence Community With More Tools to Fight Back Against Domestic Terror

NEWTON, NJ Today, Tuesday, February 23, 2021, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, urged the U.S. Department of State to officially designate international violent extremist groups, including the Proud Boys, as terrorist organizations. Doing so will help provide law enforcement and the U.S. intelligence community the tools necessary to protect the nation from domestic terrorists and other violent extremists that threaten our freedom, democracy, and communities. Todays announcement follows the involvement of domestic terrorist groups, including the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, in the January 6, 2021 failed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and the massive growth of violent extremist groups in New Jersey and nationwide in recent years.

The official terrorist group designation: 1) impedes fundraising and deters contributions to these groups; 2) heightens public awareness and knowledge of those linked to terrorism; 3) makes clear to U.S. allies our governments concerns about these groups; and, 4) warns the private sector of the risks of doing business and associating with them. Most importantly, it 5) disrupts terrorist networks, thereby cutting off access to financial and other resources from sympathizers, and 6) encourages those targeted to end their support for terrorism. In these and other ways, it helps provide additional tools to law enforcement and our nations intelligence community to prosecute, financially counter, and help defeat these groups.

The vigilante mob who stormed our Capitol killed one heroic officer, Brian Sicknick, injured scores of others, tore down the American flag, and desecrated the home of our democracy, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said today. Healing, of course, requires accountability and investigation, and we have seen the FBI and other law enforcement agencies take swift action against groups like the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, Three Percenters, and Stop the Steal, who all participated and helped lead the insurrection.

Gottheimer continued, Im here today to announce new, concrete steps to combat violent extremist groups in New Jersey and across our nation, including providing law enforcement and the U.S. intelligence community with the tools they need to protect our community, our country, and our Capitol from future domestic terror attacks. As our state and the Administration continues to examine the threat of domestic terror groups, Im urging the federal government to officially designate the Proud Boys and other violent extremist groups as terrorist groups.

Gottheimer added, Whatever their names may be whether its from the right, like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, or the groups inspired by the radical Antifa ideology on the extreme left theyre all justifying violence against their opponents, and neither Democrats nor Republicans should stand for this.

Of the 200 arrests made since the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, at least ten of the insurrections are from New Jersey including one not far from here in Sussex County, who was indicted on 12-counts, including assaulting an officer. Of the 22 individuals charged with conspiracy crimes connected to the U.S. Capitol attack, 18 were known to have ties to either the Oath Keepers or the Proud Boys.

According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), anti-Semitic incidents in New Jersey are at the highest levels ever recorded. The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness has labeled white supremacy as a top level terror threat.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Blinken today, Gottheimer wrote, I believe that a terrorist designation for qualifying entities would help provide additional tools to law enforcement and the intelligence community to prosecute, financially counter, and defeat these groups. There is also precedent for such a determination, as the United States has in the past designated international groups with American chapters and entities.

Gottheimer was joined at todays announcement, held at Sussex County Community College (SCCC), by Sussex County Prosecutor Francis Koch, First Assistant Prosecutor Greg Mueller, Captain Jennifer Williams of the Sussex County Prosecutors Office, Sussex County Undersheriff Matthew Avenatti, and Sussex County Community College President Jon Connelly.

Watch todays announcement event HERE.

View Gottheimers letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken HERE.

Gottheimers remarks as prepared for delivery are below.

Last month, for the first time since 1814, the world witnessed a deadly attack by several extremist groups on the U.S. Capitol, the beacon of our democracy, with the sole goal of overturning the will of the American people. I know. I was there that day in the House Chambers. The day before, I saw several people walking near the Capitol wearing Camp Auschwitz t-shirts and others with six million was not enough.

The vigilante mob who stormed our Capitol, killed one heroic officer, Brian Sicknick, injured scores of others, tore down the American flag, and desecrated the home of our democracy. They were nothing but lawless thugs and the very definition of extremists who sought to harm our country and attempted to shred our inalienable rights life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the end, they failed miserably. The Electoral College was certified; I spoke on the House floor that evening. The Capitol never closed. But they did succeed in tearing us further apart. I am here today to help bind up our nations wounds, because, as Lincoln said, A house divided against itself cannot stand.

That healing, of course, requires accountability and investigation and we have seen the FBI and other law enforcement agencies take swift action against groups like the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, Three Percenters, and Stop the Steal, who all participated and helped lead the insurrection. In fact, and none of us are proud of this, at least ten of the insurrectionists are from New Jersey including one not far from here in Sussex County, who was indicted on 12-counts, including assaulting an officer.

By the accountability for January 6th, we must do everything in our power to protect our country going forward from any extremists, whether they are Proud Boys or ISIS-inspired, lone wolf terrorists.

Thats why Im here today to announce new, concrete steps to combat violent extremist groups in New Jersey and across our nation, including providing law enforcement and the U.S. intelligence community with the tools they need to protect our community, our country, and our Capitol from future domestic terror attacks.

As our state and the Administration continues to examine the threat of domestic terror groups, Im urging the federal government to officially designate the Proud Boys and other violent extremist groups as terrorist groups.

Today, domestic-based extremists, including white supremacist groups, export their repulsive ideologies abroad, and, in turn, these international terror groups force their ideology on our country and threaten our homeland. This is a new, burgeoning threat that must be dealt with immediately. We know that American citizens have traveled abroad to train with international white supremacist and other extremist groups, and we must take every action to stop them.

These groups here are homegrown, but can also have international ties and, based on the increasing risk and threats here in New Jersey and nationwide, its time to label these extremists as full-fledged domestic terrorist groups.

The official terrorist group designation which under existing law can be placed on qualifying entities not only shines a much-needed light on the threat, but also opens up new authorities to help combat their extremism. The terrorist designation impedes fundraising and deters contributions to these groups, heightens public awareness and knowledge of those linked to terrorism; makes clear to U.S. allies our alarming concerns about these groups, and warns the private sector of the risks of doing business and associating with them. Most importantly, it disrupts terrorist networks, thereby cutting off access to financial and other resources from sympathizers, and encourages those targeted to end their support for terrorism. In these and other ways, it helps provide additional tools to our law enforcement and to our nations intelligence community to prosecute, financially counter, and help defeat these groups.

There is already precedent for such a determination, since the United States has in the past designated international groups with American chapters and entities, just like the Proud Boys has.

The Proud Boys group has already been classified as a hate group by civil rights organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Proud Boys is a group with a global presence, including several international chapters in Britain, Norway, and Australia. Canada has already designated them as a foreign terrorist group. In addition, federal prosecutors have already warned that Proud Boys members could plan further attacks on the federal government.

Now, its time to make sure these groups that threaten the security of our communities and nation are specially designated as the terrorist groups that they are.

I know that everyone has seen lots of footage of the January Sixth attacks on the Capitol, but what you may not know is how much of a threat these extremist groups fully posed that day, and how much of a risk these groups are both here in New Jersey and nationwide.

On January Sixth, hundreds stormed the Capitol and more than two hundred have been arrested thus far.

Those who stormed the Capitol that day included some of the worst of the worst. But the hard, hard core was made up of particularly sinister groups which have been actively recruiting in our state for years, including the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, and others.

These included anti-government extremists like the Oath Keepers a group the FBI describes as a large but loosely organized collection of militia who believe that the federal government has been co-opted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone of their members, they prey on current and former military, law enforcement, and first responders. The New Jersey Department of Homeland Security has already designated the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, Three Percenters, and other groups as threats to our state.

According to the ADL, the Proud Boys who were also heavily involved in the attack on January Sixth bear many of the hallmarks of a gang, and its members have taken part in multiple acts of brutal violence and intimidation. Last October, Congressman Tom Malinowski and I led our New Jersey House colleagues in urging the FBI to counter the presence of the Proud Boys and other hate groups in our state. As we wrote at the time, We believe we need a much more robust Federal response to the growing threat of violence posed by white nationalists, neo-Nazis, domestic terrorists, and other militias.

In fact, of the twenty-two people charged with conspiracy crimes connected to the attack on the U.S. Capitol, eighteen were known to have ties to either the Oath Keepers or the Proud Boys. One of the members of the Oath Keepers who has been charged sent text messages in which he described killing and mutilating people who held opposing views, and referred to his political adversaries as savages, maggots, and cockroaches.

Another Capitol assailant, a member of a militia extremist group called the Texas Freedom Force, even threatened to kill his family if they turned him in. Just this past week, federal authorities alleged a broader conspiracy by Oath Keepers to attack the Capitol on January Sixth, charging six more Oath Keepers for conspiring to obstruct Congress certification of the election that day.

January Sixth was just one single day, but many factors have brought us to this point. Hate, extremism, and violent acts of hate and discrimination have disturbingly risen in recent years.

In my own personal experience, there were supporters of mine who had swastikas painted in front of their house. Ive had swastikas on my own campaign lawn signs. Here in Northern New Jersey, weve seen swastikas drawn repeatedly in our schools, and on one of our great Jersey diners here in Sussex County: Airport Diner, which I hope can reopen again once we recover from the pandemic.

Weve seen the growth of hate here in New Jersey against people of all backgrounds: African American, Jewish, Irish Catholic, Muslim, Asian American such as the anti-Asian American vandalism against a restaurant here in Fifth District.

And we know all too well that social media can be filled with hate, disinformation, conspiracies, and propaganda, and that this danger can spread like wildfire.

Whatever their names may be whether its from the right, like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, or the groups inspired by the radical Antifa ideology on the extreme left theyre all justifying violence against their opponents, and neither Democrats nor Republicans should stand for this.

In New Jersey, weve seen a massive growth in white supremacy and hate acts, not just online, but in signs and protests, as well as gangs and violence. Anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, and racially charged incidents in New Jersey are now at the highest levels ever recorded, according to

the ADL.

Our New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness has also made clear the threat that homegrown violent extremists, or lone-wolf terrorists, are to New Jersey. Theyve taken the unprecedented step to raise the white supremacist threat level to high, and, as the Director of New Jerseys Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, Jared Maples, recently said, Jersey was the very first government entity in the United States to label white supremacy as a top level terror threat.

But, I know this is not who this nation is. This is not who we are. And we cannot and we will not let our nation or our politics be held hostage by domestic terror groups seeking to undermine our country.

Thats why Ive been at the forefront of combating these issues: from working closely with state and local officials like the FBI in New Jersey and our own Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to stay vigilant; to leading the charge to make sure to make sure hate groups, foreign terrorist organizations, and extremists cannot spread propaganda on our social media platforms which has resulted in Twitter banning Hamas and Hezbollah affiliated content; to the House passing my bipartisan legislation last summer to make sure we know when these groups pop up online; and working with my colleagues to stand up to groups from ISIS to Q-Anon.

My announcement today is only a part of what our country needs to combat these issues. Last Congress, I announced my bipartisan Freezing Assets of Suspected Terrorists and Enemy Recruits or FASTER Act for law enforcement to freeze the assets of domestic terrorists facing federal charges for insurrection and seditious conspiracy like those who stormed the Capitol.

Im pleased that my bipartisan legislation will be part of a package of bills that the Financial Services Committee will have a hearing on this Thursday to address, as part of our Committees continued investigation into how domestic terrorism is financed.

Ive also introduced the Online Terrorism Prevention Act to require regular disclosure of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations on social media, and to impose financial and criminal penalties for social media companies that fail to eliminate terrorist content from their platforms.

And just last month, Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and I led a bipartisan initiative urging the new Administration to restore the DHS Office of Community Partnerships (OCP), so that our country has a designated lead on efforts to counter violent extremism nationwide.

To be clear, there is plenty that both sides can disagree on and will continue to disagree on but we also need to unite against all forms of hate and stand up to these violent extremist organizations.

We must continue to stand vigilant against all threats, both foreign and domestic. With all of these initiatives, Im confident that we will give law enforcement and the U.S. intelligence community the tools necessary to protect us from violent extremists that threaten our freedom, our democracy, and our communities.

At a time when our nation is more polarized than ever, we must all work together at every level; both nationally and here in our own backyards to combat hate and extremism, especially in our political system. We must stay strong against the partisanship, turmoil, and vitriol that has plagued our nation.

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Gottheimer Announces New Steps to Combat Violent Extremist Groups, Calls for Proud Boys & Other International Extremist Groups to be Officially...

EXCLUSIVE: Mississippi congressman Thompson says his civil suit invoking the KKK Act is a direct response to Republicans political decision to acquit Trump in his impeachment trial

A member of the Proud Boys has been ringing Rep. Bennie Thompsons phone wanting a conversation with him since the Mississippi congressman filed a lawsuit against the white nationalist group. The suit also names former President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani and the militia group, the Oath Keepers, as defendants.

The civil suit, backed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), is in direct response to the Jan. 6 deadly insurrection on the U.S. Capitol building. As of last Friday, Congressman Thompson had not answered the calls from the white supremacists.

Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., speaks during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on worldwide threats to the homeland, on Capitol Hill Washington. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)

Read More: Democratic congressman Bennie Thompson sues Trump over role in Capitol riot

Congressman Thompson, a plaintiff in the case, says the call came into one of his local offices in Mississippi. He [Proud Boy member] wanted to talk to me before the lawyers started talking. Obviously, I am not going to talk to him because the suit is filed, Thompson exclusively told theGrio.

Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right group, is seen at a Stop the Steal rally against the results of the U.S. Presidential election outside the Georgia State Capitol on November 18, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

Thompsons suit is using an anti-Klan law that dates back to the 1800s. The Civil Rights Act of 1871, better known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, was meant to protect congressional leaders from from Klan intimidation in the south after the Civil War.

The lawsuit claims Trump and Giuliani, his personal lawyer, conspired with the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers to create the deadly and historic event in which an angry, mostly white male mob broke into the Capitol, attacked U.S. Capitol police officers, killing one officer and four civilians. More than 100 other officers suffered injuries.

Read More: Proud Boys may have sought revenge against police at Capitol siege: report

Congressman Thompson says the evidence is clear that congressional leaders were intimidated on Jan. 6 as they assembled to certify the Electoral College votes that declared Joe Biden the 46th president of the United States.

Story continues

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

As the mob stormed the Capitol, U.S. Senators and House members, fearing for their lives, were videotaped praying for supernatural intervention, running through the halls with police escorts to safety, and having to put on gas masks because the Trump rioters had used bear spray as they rushed the Hill with intent to destroy and kill people.

The domestic terrorists were angry over the results of the 2020 presidential election in which Donald Trump lost the popular vote and the Electoral College. Rather than concede the race, Trump falsely claimed there was fraud in the voting process. However, there is no evidence of fraud in the election as 60 lawsuits filed on behalf of Trump were denied by the courts.

The Thompson civil suit is meant to establish accountability and hit the defendants where it hurts the pocketbook in efforts to prevent violent incidents like this from happening again.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson tells theGrio that he thinks his organization and Thompson are going in the right direction. No trial schedule has been set, however, a D.C. federal judge was just assigned to the case last week.

NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson addresses the 110th NAACP National Convention in Detroit on July 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

Anytime you leave domestic terrorists unaccountable you can be assured there will be more domestic terrorism, Johnson tells theGrio.

Thompson, a lifetime member of the NAACP, says he is not looking for anything for himself but feels, we have to stop this expansion of domestic right-wing terrorists that are growing in this country.

Thompson also serves as the head of the House Homeland Security Committee and reminds people that, the FBI has testified before my committee that the single greatest threat to this country is the growth of right wing domestic terrorism.

The lawsuit is a direct result of what Thompson calls the Senates inaction to convict Donald Trump during the second phase of the impeachment process. Thompson says the acquittal was a political decision.

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The post Proud Boys calling Rep. Bennie Thompsons phone over Capitol riot lawsuit appeared first on TheGrio.

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Proud Boys calling Rep. Bennie Thompsons phone over Capitol riot lawsuit - Yahoo Sports

On Feb. 3, Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair announced that 13 groups had been added to the List of Terrorist Entities. Nine of the groups were jihadist groups. But for many Canadians, the most recognizable group was the Proud Boys, although other groups particularly Atomwaffen Division and The Base arguably pose a more virulent threat.

The Proud Boys, founded by Canadian writer Gavin McInnes, rose to prominence as the result of its violent engagement with counter-protesters during the so-called Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017. As with right-wing extremism more generally, the group, which operates in both Canada and the United States, has continued to rise in stature.

According to Blair, the escalation toward violence shown by the Proud Boys since 2018 was a central factor in their designation as a terrorist group. No one should expect the listing to function as a silver bullet; government officials admit that the designation is unlikely to produce criminal charges anytime soon. But this designation carries with it potentially important implications for the group and its members and supporters.

For the group, among the most significant potential outcomes is freezing, seizing and restraint of property. However, as many contemporary violent extremist groups, including the Proud Boys, operate less as traditional organizations and more as loose confederations of members and supporters, the effects of the listing are more likely to be experienced by these individuals.

Most notably, individuals are legally prohibited from participating in or contributing to an activity of a terrorist group. Thus, the proscription goes beyond active engagement in extremism to include support activities such as fundraising and recruiting.

Read more: Designating the Proud Boys a terrorist organization won't stop hate-fuelled violence

Carrying punishment as indictable offence (and liability to imprisonment for up to 10 years), the terrorist listing is clearly meant to limit the types of support activities that are essential for the sustenance of these groups.

What is less clear is whether the listing will influence Proud Boys members and supporters. For the hardcore members, the most dedicated acolytes, the effect may be minimal; in fact, it is conceivable that they could wear this status as a badge of honour (or proudly, if you like).

But for the bulk of followers, and potential recruits, especially those with what sociologist Jackson Toby once called stakes in conformity, the impact may be quite different. It is one thing to be involved with a group that is on the margins of acceptability, it is another to be part of one that has been banned. Such a connection could open one up to a further level of social censure, disapproval or ostracism.

One of the challenges in predicting how individuals affiliated with the Proud Boys will respond to the terrorism label is that we are breaking new ground.

The first two groups to be designated as terrorist entities, Blood & Honour and Combat 18, were largely defunct by the time they were listed. In contrast, the groups added on Feb. 3 are very much active.

In response, some have questioned the need for the list. This argument pays insufficient attention to the seriousness of the current situation. Apart from providing law enforcement with important tools to address a rising threat, designating the Proud Boys as a terrorist group plays a critical role in re-establishing an increasingly opaque distinction between right-wing politics and violent right-wing extremism.

Recent events in the U.S. five people associated with Proud Boys were arrested and charged with conspiracy for their role in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection represent the culmination of a deliberate process of blurring this line. Former president Trump and many Republican politicians have embraced, or at least failed to dissuade, right-wing extremists, to the point of where it is difficult to clearly demarcate where one ends and the other begins. Although the situation has been less pronounced in Canada, some of the same proclivities are evident here.

Designating the Proud Boys, Atomwaffen Division and The Base as terrorist groups provides a concrete affirmation that their activities unquestionably fall outside the bounds of acceptable political expression.

The listing process carries with it potential dangers that should be addressed. Like other western countries, Canada struggled in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 to create law to address terrorism. Many aspects of the War on Terror provide excellent examples of the perils of creating and applying laws and policies during a crisis, and cases where those laws have been arbitrarily or unfairly applied. For example, in the Canadian context, misguided information in the aftermath of 9/11 had led to the torture and mistreatment of certain citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

Perhaps the greatest concern with the listing process is its lack of transparency. While the government ought not be obliged to reveal its case prior to listing, an explanation afterwards of why a particular entity was designated as terrorist would go some way toward alleviating some concerns.

Labelling the Proud Boys as terrorists will not, in and of itself, resolve the growing political chasm that could erode Canadas social stability. However, it is a necessary element in maintaining the boundaries of reasonable political behaviour.

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Proud Boys terrorist group designation may deter new recruits and fundraising - The Conversation CA

President Joe Biden called out the Proud Boys as one of the greatest threats to America during his town hall in Milwaukee. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor Joel Berkowitz got to ask Biden about white supremacists and other hate groups during that town hall Tuesday night. "While I appreciate efforts being made to bring them to justice, I worry about ongoing threats to our country from Americans who embrace white supremacy and conspiracies that align with it. What can your administration do to address this complex and wide-ranging problem?" Berkowitz asked the president."I got involved in politics to begin with because of civil rights and opposition to white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan, and the most dangerous people in America continue to exist. That is the greatest threat to terror in America, domestic terror," Biden said."Are you concerned about white supremacists in Wisconsin?" WISN 12's Terry Sater asked Berkowitz."Sure. We've seen them kill people. We've had things happen in our own backyard," Berkowitz said.In January, Kyle Rittenhouse, charged with killing two people during police brutality protests in Kenosha, could be seen in a Mount Pleasant bar, prosecutors said, flashing "white power" signs while posing for photos and serenaded with the Proud Boys anthem.The same group the president brought up at the town hall."You may remember, in one of my debates with the former president, I asked him to condemn the Proud Boys and he wouldn't do it," Biden said.Berkowitz said he wished the president would have talked more at the Pabst Theater about the underlying causes of hate groups, but he's glad Biden has changed the tone of the conversation from the White House."They are dangerous people," Biden said.The president said he'd like the Justice Department and the civil rights division to focus on hate groups.

President Joe Biden called out the Proud Boys as one of the greatest threats to America during his town hall in Milwaukee.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor Joel Berkowitz got to ask Biden about white supremacists and other hate groups during that town hall Tuesday night.

"While I appreciate efforts being made to bring them to justice, I worry about ongoing threats to our country from Americans who embrace white supremacy and conspiracies that align with it. What can your administration do to address this complex and wide-ranging problem?" Berkowitz asked the president.

"I got involved in politics to begin with because of civil rights and opposition to white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan, and the most dangerous people in America continue to exist. That is the greatest threat to terror in America, domestic terror," Biden said.

"Are you concerned about white supremacists in Wisconsin?" WISN 12's Terry Sater asked Berkowitz.

"Sure. We've seen them kill people. We've had things happen in our own backyard," Berkowitz said.

In January, Kyle Rittenhouse, charged with killing two people during police brutality protests in Kenosha, could be seen in a Mount Pleasant bar, prosecutors said, flashing "white power" signs while posing for photos and serenaded with the Proud Boys anthem.

The same group the president brought up at the town hall.

"You may remember, in one of my debates with the former president, I asked him to condemn the Proud Boys and he wouldn't do it," Biden said.

Berkowitz said he wished the president would have talked more at the Pabst Theater about the underlying causes of hate groups, but he's glad Biden has changed the tone of the conversation from the White House.

"They are dangerous people," Biden said.

The president said he'd like the Justice Department and the civil rights division to focus on hate groups.

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Biden: Proud Boys one of the greatest threats to America - WISN Milwaukee

The Proud Boys are a far-right white nationalist organization based in Canada that was recently designated a terrorist entity by the Canadian government. This designation, however, will not stop violent extremists from attacking Canadian values.

This is a moment in time where extremism now pervades social media. This change has been so gradual that we have not noticed our tacit involvement each time we post or pass on softly violent memes and slogans wrapped in humour.

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The criminal justice system will be unable to weather this storm unless it adjusts its approach to understanding the true nature of social movements and determining whether terrorist designations are the most appropriate means of dealing with social movements that express soft violence.

Soft violence describes harmful activities that stop short of actual physical violence. It takes the form of culturally nuanced, inexplicit cues that reinforce perceived power disparities. Specific clothing, memes and symbols are all types of recorded social violence activity associated with right-wing extremists.

While groups like the Proud Boys are undoubtedly violent in intention, they are softly violent in their expression. This soft violence demonstrates the creeping normalization of extremist sentiment in our communities.

To receive a terrorist designation, an organization must meet three criteria: it must intend or have committed physical harm; it must intend to impact decision-making by policy-makers and or intimidate citizens; and it must be driven by ideological beliefs. The danger of physical harm to citizens must be clearly demonstrated with reasonable grounds that it has carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in or facilitated terrorist activity.

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Groups that plan, conduct and execute physical harm driven by ideological beliefs are just the tip of the iceberg. Neo-Nazi groups like the Atomwaffen Division and The Base also designated terrorist organizations by the Canadian government fit this designation: they sell guns and train militias for race wars, and utter and disseminate hate speech.

These organized right-wing extremist groups are the violent visible minority, and a small part of the much larger movement of sympathizers and supporters.

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Extremists thrive in environments where they can easily cultivate an identity that is fixated on maintaining the dominance, authority, legitimacy and superiority of the white race. Misogyny and ultra-nationalism are extensions of these constructs of what white well-being and white welfare should look like.

Groups like the Proud Boys recruit and spread their messages through non-offensive affiliations where grievances align. These destructive, inward-looking, nationalistic, race-dominant, regressive beliefs can lead to oppression, community strife and dehumanization.

This is especially true in an uncertain pandemic, where lockdowns lead to an increase in time spent online and conspiracy theories and anger at restrictions prevail.

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My research studies a dataset of more than 94 million extremist transactions to examine how online activity may be a confident predictor of the escalation to violence, based on the degree of usage of softly violent mass identity manipulators, like memes and visual cues.

In particular, I look at how these mass identity manipulators strengthen the bonds of violent transnational social movements. My research lab is currently tracking 16 Canadian Facebook groups with over a quarter-million followers who engage with extremist rhetoric.

When other platforms are considered, Canadian support for these groups might number in the millions. These followers make up a range of segments within extremism violent transnational social movements are often elements within broader social movements.

Many of the groups we are examining are actually derivatives, splinters or rebrands of known extremist groups. Elements of the Proud Boys have already refashioned into a new incarnation called Canada First, effectively sidestepping their terrorist designation.

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The Three Percenters, a far-right militia movement, have created a group called Canadian Sheepdogs, which has more than 400 followers. The Aryan Guard became Blood and Honour, but three of its members who were charged in racially motivated assaults in Vancouver allegedly joined the Asatruu Folk Assembly. The Qubec Soldiers of Odin splintered into the Northern Guard. The Wolves of Odin, Canadian Infidels and The Clann all emerged from the Edmonton Soldiers of Odin.

Alleged neo-Nazis like Gabriel Sohier Chaput have shown that Canadians are highly influential on message boards and forums. The activity of right-wing extremist groups in Canada is a real and present danger.

It is a positive sign that the Canadian government has asserted that violent extremists will be held accountable for their activities, but the punitive measures are incidental at best. The Proud Boys as an organization will not be able to hold property or be named as a charitable foundation.

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The members of the group, however, are free to join other groups because they have not been named individually, and expressing nuanced hate is not a crime or a terrorist offence. These groups, like other extremist violent transnational social movements, raise money through crowdfunding being designated a terrorist organization will limit their ability to do so.

This is possibly the single positive tangible benefit of this action.

Candyce Kelshall, adjunct professor, Buckingham Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies, University of Buckingham.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

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COMMENTARY: Designating the Proud Boys as terrorists wont stop the violence - Global News

Members of the violent far-right group the Proud Boys, as well as their connection with Trump associate and political consultant Roger StoneRoger Jason StoneFederal prosecutors investigated Proud Boys ties to Roger Stone in 2019 case: CNN Six people who guarded Roger Stone entered Capitol during attack: NYT House Democrats renew push for checks on presidential pardons MORE, were the subject of a 2019 criminal investigation that ultimately did not lead to charges, CNN reported Wednesday.

The previously-undisclosed investigation centered on whether the group had deliberately threatened the federal judge in Stones own case, according to CNN.

Stone, who was convicted of witness intimidation and lying to Congress but pardoned by former President TrumpDonald TrumpFederal prosecutors investigated Proud Boys ties to Roger Stone in 2019 case: CNN Overnight Defense: One-third of service members decline coronavirus vaccine | Biden to take executive action in response to Solar Winds hack | US, Japan reach cost sharing agreement Trump 'won't say yet' if he's running in 2024 MORE, posted an image of Judge Amy Berman Jackson with crosshairs behind her head to his Instagram account in February 2019, shortly after his indictment.

In court, he said the image was selected by an unnamed person who helped him with social media. Stone said he had not realized the image contained crosshairs. Jackson tightened Stones gag order as a result and he was later banned outright from Instagram and Facebook.

In a subsequent hearing, Stone said Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, reportedly a federal informant, had assisted him with social media. Stone also named several other members and associates of the group, including Tyler Ziolkowski, Jacob Engels and Rey Perez, according to CNN.

The men Stone named later flew to Washington, D.C., to testify in the matter.

"They asked me about if I had anything to do about posting that. They were asking me if Stone has ever paid me, what he's ever paid me for," Ziolkowski told CNN this week.

Ziolkowski was reportedly not present in D.C. on Jan. 6, the day of the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, while Tarrio had been arrested days before. Engels told Ziolkowski he was with Stone, who was in D.C. on Jan. 6 but has said he was not involved in the Capitol breach. Although none of the men have been charged in connection with Jan. 6, several other figures associated with the group have been charged.

Earlier this week, the NAACP and House Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie ThompsonBennie Gordon ThompsonFederal prosecutors investigated Proud Boys ties to Roger Stone in 2019 case: CNN The Hill's Morning Report - Biden on COVID-19: Next year Americans will be 'better off' Riot probe to likely focus on McCarthy-Trump call MORE (D-Miss.)sued the group along with Trump, his attorney Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiFederal prosecutors investigated Proud Boys ties to Roger Stone in 2019 case: CNN The Hill's Morning Report - Biden on COVID-19: Next year Americans will be 'better off' Giuliani not representing Trump in legal matters, spokesman says MORE and another far-right group, the Oath Keepers, under a Reconstruction-era law for alleged incitement.

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Federal prosecutors investigated Proud Boys ties to Roger Stone in 2019 case: CNN | TheHill - The Hill