Category Archives: Proud Boys

An Arizona woman arrested in connection with the Capitol riot on January 6 claimed to have been recruited by the Proud Boys, a misogynistic far-right group, a criminal complaint said.

Felicia Konold was arrested in Arizona last week on charges of conspiracy, civil disorder, obstruction, trespassing, and disorderly conduct, according to the Department of Justice.

Thecomplaint said Konold recorded multiple Snapchat videos describing the riot. In one, it said, she claimed to have been recruited by the Kansas City chapter of the Proud Boys and displayed what she said was a membership coin.

"In the post, the woman claimed that she had been told that even though she was not from Kansas City, she was 'with them now,'" the complaint said.

The claim of acceptance into a Proud Boys chapter has puzzled experts on extremist groups, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

The Proud Boys is by definition a men-only group, describing itself as a "pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world," the complaint said.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has designated the Proud Boys as a hate group, said the group is known for misogynistic rhetoric and believes that "women are happier when they stay home and have children."

Alex DiBranco, the executive director of the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism, told the AP that no one in her group was aware of a woman ever having been recruited by a Proud Boys chapter.

Cassie Miller, a senior research analyst for the SPLC, told the AP that, for a time, women formed auxiliary Proud Boys groups like the "Proud Boys' Girls," made up of the wives and girlfriends of members.

But these women were never considered full members of the Proud Boys, Miller said, adding that she wasn't aware of any of these auxiliary groups being active.

"The group has been very clear from the beginning it is an organization for men only and they hold misogynistic [beliefs] and believe that women are best suited for domestic labor and should act as mothers and homemakers," Miller said.

Eric Ward, a senior fellow at the SPLC, told the AP that Konold's receiving a coin would suggest dissension in the Proud Boys' ranks.

"There is something happening around gender in the Proud Boys and it is something worth paying attention to," Ward said.

Recent news reports have indicated that the group is in disarray in the wake of the Capitol riot, particularly after its leader, Enrique Tarrio, was unmasked as a longtime FBI informant.

Konold's criminal complaint said that she and her brother, Cory, were seen on video marching toward the Capitol with a group of Proud Boys on January 6, pushing past several police barricades before eventually breaking into the building with the group. Footage inside the Capitol showed Konold and others working to stop police officers from being able to lower the security gates in the building, the complaint said.

One of the four others charged alongside Konold is William Chrestman, who is described in another court document as the leader of the Kansas City Proud Boys, according to the AP.

Felicia and Cory Konold's father, Robert Konold, told the Arizona Daily Star after their arrests last week that he didn't know they were members of a group.

"Neither of them, as far as I knew, had any affiliation with any group or anything," he said.

Robert Konold said that while he and his daughter had become estranged in the past year, he remained "tight" with his son he said he would have known if his son had joined the Proud Boys.

Robert Konold said that it was his daughter who had really wanted to go to the Trump event and that her brother had tagged along.

"He was just going to drive with his sister because she was going to go regardless," Robert Konold said. "He figured, 'Hey, road trip, and we can both share driving.'"

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A woman who was charged in connection with the Capitol riot bragged about being recruited by the Proud Boys - Business Insider

SEATTLE -- The self-described sergeant-at-arms of the Seattle chapter of the far-right group Proud Boys will remain in custody for now pending charges filed in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Magistrate Judge Brian Tsuchida in Seattle initially said Monday that 30-year-old Ethan Nordean should be released pending trial, rejecting the government's arguments that he posed a danger to the community and was a flight risk. But Tsuchida then halted his own decision and gave the Justice Department time to appeal.

Within hours, an appeal had been filed and U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, D.C., further blocked Nordeans release pending a review. She also directed U.S. marshals to transport Nordean to the District of Columbia to face the charges against him.

The Proud Boys are an extremist and male-chauvinist organization known for brawling with antifa demonstrators. At least eight defendants linked to the group have been charged in the Capitol riot.

Nordean of Auburn, Washington, also goes by the name Rufio Panman and has described himself as the sergeant-at-arms and as the president of the Proud Boys' Seattle chapter.

He was arrested last week after being charged in federal court in Washington, D.C., with obstructing an official proceeding, aiding and abetting others who damaged federal property, and knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building. Obstructing an official proceeding, the most serious of the charges, carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Nordean has not entered pleas to any of the charges.

The Justice Department said Nordean helped plan the Proud Boys' actions at the Capitol, marched at the front of a group of Proud Boys shortly before the Jan. 6 riot and broke into the Capitol building with other members of the group. He was near the front of the mob that confronted vastly outnumbered Capitol Police officers, prosecutors said.

In asking for him to remain in custody, assistant U.S. attorney Jehiel Baer noted that in the days before the riot, Nordean posted on social media saying, Let them remember the day they decided to make war with us, as well as a photo of himself with the words, And fight we will.

There is no reason to believe that Defendant, or any of his Proud Boy associates, are any more interested in complacency, or any less interested in fomenting rebellion, than they were on January 5, prosecutors wrote in a memo arguing for his detention. If nothing else, the events of January 6, 2021, have exposed the size and determination of right-wing fringe groups in the United States, and their willingness to place themselves and others in danger to further their political ideology.

Baer noted that Nordean gained notoriety for knocking out a counter-protester in 2018 in Portland, Oregon, an event that was captured on video and which garnered him a guest appearance on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' InfoWars program.

Federal agents who searched his house after the Capitol riot found a valid passport on a bedside table issued to another man; Nordean had recently commented on social media suggesting he wanted to start a new life somewhere else, Baer said.

And further, Baer argued, one of the allegations that Nordean aided and abetted the destruction or attempted destruction of federal property, with the intent to coerce the government is a federal crime of terrorism punishable by more than 10 years in prison. Such crimes carry a presumption that the defendant will be detained pending trial, Baer said.

Nordean's public defender, Corey Endo, argued that the presumption only applies if the property damaged is valued at more than $1,000, and the government's complaint didn't say anything about the value of the damaged property.

Further, she said, Nordean has no criminal history; the counter-protester Nordean decked in Portland had first attacked him with some sort of rod; and on Alex Jones' show he said he did not believe in using violence against those with other political views.

As for the passport by the bed, Endo said, it merely belonged to the ex-boyfriend of Nordean's wife, who left it at the home with other possessions after they split up. The person pictured in the passport didn't resemble Nordean except that they're both white men, she said.

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Judge halts Proud Boy's release in Capitol breach case - ABC News

TORONTO (AP) The Canadian government designated the Proud Boys group as a terrorist entity on Wednesday, noting they played a pivotal role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

The Proud Boys have faced increased scrutiny after seizing on the former Trump administrations policies and was a major agitator during earlier protests and the Capitol riot on Jan. 6. The Proud Boys is a far-right, male chauvinist extremist group known for engaging in violent clashes at political rallies. Canada is the first country to designate them as a terrorist entity.

During a September presidential debate, Donald Trump had urged them to stand back and stand by when asked to condemn them by a moderator.

Senior officials speaking on a technical briefing said authorities had been monitoring and collecting evidence about the Proud Boys before the Capitol Hill insurrection, but confirmed that the event provided information that helped with the decision to list the organization.

READ MORE: Proud Boys leader arrested, accused of burning churchs Black Lives Matter banner

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said they revealed themselves.

Their intent and their escalation toward violence became quite clear, Blair said.

The terrorist designation means the group may have assets seized and face harsher terrorism-related criminal penalties. A government official said just because they are a member doesnt mean they will be charged with a crime, but if they do engage in violent acts they could be charged with terrorist crimes.

Sending money to the organization or buying Proud Boys paraphernalia would also be a crime.

The group and its members have openly encouraged, planned, and conducted violent activities against those they perceive to be opposed to their ideology and political beliefs, the Canadian government said in briefing materials.

The group regularly attends Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests as counter-protesters, often engaging in violence targeting BLM supporters. On January 6, 2021, the Proud Boys played a pivotal role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

The government calls the Proud Boys a neo-fascist organization with semiautonomous chapters located in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It said it engages in political violence and that members espouse misogynistic, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, and white supremacist ideologies.

Since 2018 we have seen an escalation towards violence for this group, Blair said.

In the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election, we have seen signals of escalation towards violence from a number of different groups including the Proud Boys.

Blair said four right-wing groups are among 13 additions to the list, which include three groups linked to al-Qaida, four associated with the Islamic State group and one Kashmiri organization.

Canada will not tolerate ideological, religious or politically motivated acts of violence, Blair said.

The Proud Boys were formed in 2016 by Canadian Gavin McInnes, who co-founded Vice Media.

READ MORE: U.S. terrorism alert warns of politically motivated violence

In 2018, police arrested several Proud Boys members and associates who brawled with antifascists after McInnes, delivered a speech at New Yorks Metropolitan Republican Club.

McInnes has described the group as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists and denies affiliations with far-right extremist groups that overtly espouse racist and anti-Semitic views. McInnes sued the Southern Poverty Law Center, claiming it defamed him when it designated the Proud Boys as a hate group.

In response to the federal suit, which is still pending in Alabama, the law center said McInnes has acknowledged an overlap between the Proud Boys and white nationalist groups.

Indeed, Proud Boys members have posted social media pictures of themselves with prominent Holocaust deniers, white nationalists, and known neo-Nazis, law center lawyers wrote in a court filing.

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Canada designates the Proud Boys as a terrorist entity - PBS NewsHour

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.

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 oganization 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A consideration for the justice system may be to focus on more appropriate penalties and legislation for criminalizing individuals who incite violence both on and offline. Stopping the normalization of extremism is the direction we need to move. But without addressing the environment, there will always be an endless supply of groups waiting to take the Proud Boys place.

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Designating the Proud Boys a terrorist organization won't stop hate-fuelled violence - The Conversation CA

Canada has announced that it will be designating the US-based far-right group Proud Boys as a terrorist entity in an attempt to crack down on ideologically motivated violent extremism in the country. With this, the all-male neo-fascist group will be added to a lengthy list of international terrorist organisations, that includes ISIS, Al Qaeda and al-Shabab.

Their violent actions and rhetoric are fuelled by white supremacy, anti-Semitism, racism, homophobia, Islamophobia and misogyny, and unfortunately, often in combination of all of the above, Canadas Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said at a press conference. His announcement came weeks after a few Proud Boys joined the violent mob of Trump supporters that stormed the US Capitol building ahead of President Joe Bidens inauguration.

The Proud Boys grabbed headlines worldwide last year during the first presidential debate between then-President Donald Trump and his Democratic contender Biden. Trump was widely criticised for calling on the group to stand back and stand by, when he was asked specifically to condemn white supremacist and militia groups.

The all-male neo-fascist group was founded in 2016 by Vice Media co-founder and Canadian-British right-wing activist Gavin McInnes. According to the Southern Poverty Law Centre, the Proud Boys are known for their anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric and have been classified as an extremist group by the FBI.

To be inducted into the fold, a Proud Boy must first proclaim that he is a a Western chauvinist who refuses to apologise for creating the modern world. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the group is also known for anti-transgender, anti-immigration and anti-Semitic views.

However, members of the group insist that they are not, in fact, racist. The groups current leader Enrique Tarrio, an Afro-Cuban, said that the group has longstanding regulations prohibiting racist, white supremacist or violent activity, USA Today reported. They claim that they do not support white supremacists, and merely banded together to oppose the activities of the anti-fascist movement known as Antifa.

But members of the group are often seen at rallies carrying guns and bats and a few have even been convicted of violent crimes against left-wing groups and activists. The group is known to show up bearing arms at right-wing and liberal leaning protests across the United States.

The name of the group was inspired by a song from the musical version of the Disney film Aladdin. Members usually don a fixed uniform of red Make America Great Again caps from Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and black and yellow polo shirts by the apparel brand Fred Perry. Incidentally, the brand withdrew the design after it came to be associated with the far-right group, CNN reported.

Proud Boys have also been associated with other far-right gatherings and protest marches that have turned violent, such as the infamous Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, North Carolina in 2017. A former member of the group, named Jason Kessler, helped bring together members of groups like the Ku Klux Klan and other neo-nazi and militia groups for the event.

They were also a regular feature at the nationwide anti-racism protests in the US sparked by the custodial killing of African American George Floyd. The Proud Boys were known to intimidate anti-racism protesters and in some places have incited violence and fighting.

Many critics have said that President Trumps refusal to explicitly denounce the violence caused by white supremacist and militia groups during the first presidential debate further bolstered the far-right group and others like it.

Their activities are not limited to the United States. In 2017, five members of the Canadian chapter of the Proud Boys, who happened to be soldiers of the Canadian Armed Forces, disrupted an indigenous ceremony in Halifax, Nova Scota on Canada Day, the New York Times reported. While they were disciplined, they did not face any criminal charges.

The recent attack on the US Capitol Hill, in which several members of the Proud Boys participated, was not the driving factor, but did produce a trove of information that was added to the intelligence reports that formed the basis of the Canadian governments decision, Blair said.

And as disturbing and concerning as those images and those events were, they also provided law enforcement and our intelligence services with a trove of new information in which quite frankly, many of these groups revealed themselves, he explained, adding that their decision drew from evidence, intelligence and law.

Several members of the group are presently facing legal charges and one top leader was arrested for their role in storming the US Capitol on January 6, along with a mob of angry supporters of President Donald Trump. At least five people were killed in the riot, which is widely being considered one of the worst security breaches in US history. The incident took place just as lawmakers had begun to gather for a joint session in the House of Representatives to count the electoral votes and validate Bidens presidential win.

According to Canada, the group played a central role in the Capitol attack and its leaders planned their participation by setting out objectives, issuing instructions and directing members during the insurrection.

Explaining what qualified as ideologically motivated violent extremism, the Canadian government said that it included xenophobic violence, anti-authority violence, gender-driven violence and and grievance-driven violence shaped by echo chambers of online hate, the Washington Post reported.

Just last month, the Parliament in Canada unanimously passed a motion calling on Canadian PM Justin Trudeaus government to ban the Proud Boys and to label them a terrorist group, CNN reported. Since the attack on the Capitol, the leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, has been pushing Trudeau to declare the Proud Boys a terror group. But officials insist that the decision was not political.

The group was added to the list along with a number of other extremist groups with links to Al Qaeda, Islamic State and Hizbul Mujahideen.

But some groups argue that banning the Proud Boys would expand the definition of terrorism to a point where free speech and the right to protest will be threatened.

By declaring the Proud Boys a terror group, Canadian officials will not be able to automatically make any arrests. But they will be able to seize their assets and prosecute members or associates for carrying out or contributing to extremist activities, AFP reported. A crime committed by anyone associated with the group can now lead to terrorism charges under criminal law.

Even providing a terrorist group with funds would qualify as a crime. This also includes purchasing group-related clothing or paraphernalia, according to a New York Times report. Authorities will also be able to take down online posts with more ease and add the groups members to no-fly lists.

Minister Blair said that the move would severely restrict the groups ability to raise funds through crowdfunding or any other method in Canada.

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Explained: Who are the Proud Boys, far-right group declared a terrorist entity in Canada? - The Indian Express

On Feb. 3, Canadian officials designated the far-right Proud Boys a terrorist organization, saying they have encouraged and planned violent activities against opponents of their ideology.

The officials also cited the pivotal role the group played in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Proud Boys were key instigators of the riot, a Wall Street Journal video investigation found.

Since the attack, U.S. authorities have arrested multiple members of the group for their alleged involvement.

Among them is Ethan Nordean, 30, whose alias, Rufio Panman, is listed in the groups bylaws as a member of its first Elders Chapter. He was arrested Feb. 3, the same day that authorities announced a new indictment against the leader of the groups Honolulu chapter, Nicholas Ochs, who is accused of conspiring with a Texas man to obstruct Congresss certification of the 2020 presidential election. Mr. Ochs, who ran as a Republican for a seat in Hawaiis House of Representatives that year (he lost), filmed himself inside the Capitol and later tweeted a photo of himself and another man, cigarettes dangling from their mouths. Hello from the Capital lol, Mr. Ochs captioned his post. That evidence was used by federal authorities to arrest him.

Mr. Nordeans attorney didnt return requests for comment. A lawyer for Mr. Ochs in D.C. declined to comment. Myles Breiner, the attorney who represented Mr. Ochs in Hawaii, said the indictment was expected.

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Who Are the Proud Boys? Canada Names Far-Right Group a Terrorist Organization - The Wall Street Journal

A web designer originally from Denton County who is a self-described Proud Boys member has been arrested on charges related to the storming the U.S. Capitol, federal court records show.

Daniel Goodwyn, 32, was arrested on Friday in the Eastern District of Texas, according to federal authorities. He currently lives in San Francisco and was captured on video inside the Capitol building with a mob that forced its way inside on Jan. 6, according to the FBI.

He is at least the tenth North Texan arrested for allegedly taking part in the siege.

Goodwyn is charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to an FBI warrant affidavit.

An attorney for Goodwyn could not immediately be identified.

While he was inside the Capitol building, Goodwyn was called out as sfthoughtcriminal by Anthime Gionet, a far-right social media personality known as Baked Alaska, the FBI says.

Wearing dark sunglasses and a MAGA hat, Goodwyn approached Gionet and told him to stop doxing him and said his name was Daniel Goodwyn, the affidavit says.

Goodwyn was then directed out of the building by a U.S. Capitol Police officer, the affidavit said. Goodwyn then called the officer an oathbreaker and yelled for people to get the officers badge number as he left.

Gionet was arrested on Jan. 15 in Houston.

The FBI says Goodwyn has claimed to be a member of the Proud Boys, a far-right nationalist group that authorities have said took part in the Capitol insurrection.

The Proud Boys say they are proud to be white and have participated in far-right rallies alongside racist organizations. Critics say they spread an ideology of racism, Islamophobia, misogyny and bigotry. The Southern Poverty Law Center deems them a hate group.

Goodwyn posted about his Proud Boys ties as recently as November, while commenting on the presidential election, the affidavit said.

He was identified for the FBI by an associate who recognized him from Gionets livestream broadcast from inside the Capitol during the riot, authorities say. Agents used Goodwyns drivers license photo to confirm his identity.

The associate messaged Goodwyn on Instagram, saying, My dad said you are Antifa pretending to be Trump supporters, according to the FBI. Goodwyn allegedly responded while at the Capitol, writing, Tell your dad if he doesnt want his guns I can find some folks who will.

Goodwyn later posted on Instagram that, I didnt break or take anything, but I went inside for a couple of minutes, the affidavit says.

Public records show Goodwyn had listed addresses in Corinth and Flower Mound before moving to San Francisco.

Goodwyns Linkedin account describes him as a Web & Mobile App Designer & Developer who worked as a web designer for Jews for Jesus in San Francisco between May 2016 and March 2019.

Most recently, he worked for Stop Hate as a designer and citizen journalist, according to his online rsum. It said his duties include working to raise awareness about the stop hate campaigns and messaging.

Goodwyn says on his personal website that he grew up around computers and that his father is a database administrator. He also said he developed an interest in computer graphics and became adept at animations and web design. Goodwyn also says on Linkedin that he attended City College of San Francisco and Austin Community College.

His Twitter account shows that he believed COVID-19 was fake and the election was stolen from Donald Trump. He tweeted Driving to DC now on Jan. 1.

On Jan. 6, the day of the uprising, he tweeted: They WANT a revolution. Theyre proving our point. They dont represent us. They hate us. He tweeted two days later that his Facebook and Instagram accounts had been disabled.

Another defendant, Katherine Staveley Schwab, surrendered to the U.S. Marshals on Monday in the Northern District of Texas -- on charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and disorderly conduct on capitol grounds, court records show.

The exact allegations against the Tarrant County real estate agent were unavailable late Monday because the complaint remained sealed.

Schwab flew on a private plane to Washington with Frisco real estate broker Jennifer Ryan to attend the Trump rally, according to published reports.

Ryan, 50, was arrested Jan. 15 and charged in connection with the insurrection. She was released pending trial.

Schwab reportedly bragged on social media about storming the Capitol and raising hell and was later fired from her real estate job, according to a report by Candys Dirt.

Schwab, 32, appeared in federal court in Fort Worth on Monday and was released pending trial in Washington D.C., according to court records. She was placed on home detention and must stay away from the Capitol, records show.

Her attorney could not be reached Monday evening.

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Self-proclaimed Proud Boy from North Texas is latest to be arrested in storming of Capitol - The Dallas Morning News

The new indictment against Dominic Pezzola and William Pepe, both of New York, is the first riot-related case to accuse Proud Boys members of working together to attack the Capitol.

But the men are not accused of planning the attack before coming to Washington. They have been charged with conspiring to interfere with police officers defending the Capitol, participating in civil disorder, unlawfully entering restricted grounds and other federal crimes.

Both men were first hit with charges two weeks ago. Prosecutors alleged they had removed metal barricades at the Capitol and that Pezzola had smashed a window using a police officer's riot shield. Footage of the attack shows pro-Trump rioters entering the Capitol through the broken window.

Of the approximately 175 known defendants facing riot-related charges, at least eight are affiliated with the Proud Boys, according to a CNN analysis of court documents. Several of the prosecutors and FBI agents handling these Proud Boys cases are specialists in investigating terrorist groups, violent gangs and other national security matters, according to court filings.

The Justice Department's counterterrorism section, which is part of the national security division, is helping to lead the case against Pezzola and Pepe, according to a news release issued Friday.

In response to the indictment, Pezzola's lawyer Michael Scibetta told CNN that he was "denied contact" with his jailed client, which undercut his ability to mount a "meaningful legal defense."

A lawyer representing Pepe did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

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Two members of the Proud Boys face conspiracy charges in US Capitol riot - CNN

It was the table setter for what would come, with nearly 2,000 people gathering in Washington on Tuesday evening for a Rally to Save America. Speaker after angry speaker stoked stolen-election conspiracy theories and name-checked sworn enemies: Democrats and weak Republicans, Communists and Satanists.

Still, the crowd seemed a bit giddy at the prospect of helping President Trump reverse the result of the election though at times the language evoked a call to arms. It is time for war, one speaker declared.

As the audience thinned, groups of young men emerged in Kevlar vests and helmets, a number of them holding clubs and knives. Some were aligned with the neofascist Proud Boys; others with the Three Percenters, a far-right militia group.

Were not backing down anymore, said a man with fresh stitches on his head. This is our country.

That night reflected a disconcerting mix of free speech and certain menace; of everyday Americans supporting their president and extremists prepared to commit violence for him. All had assembled in answer to Mr. Trumps repeated appeals to attend a march to the Capitol the next day that he promised would be wild.

It was. By Wednesday afternoon, a narrow group of Trump supporters some exuberant, some hellbent had been storm-tossed together into infamy. A mob overran the nations Capitol, as lawmakers hid in fear. Wholesale vandalism. Tear gas. Gunfire. A woman dead; an officer dead; many injured. Chants of U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

But the insurrection failed.

It had been the culmination of a sustained assault by the president and his enablers on fact-based reality, one that began long before the November election but took on a fevered urgency as the certainty of Mr. Trumps defeat solidified. For years, he had demonized political opponents and the media and egged on thuggish behavior at his rallies.

Since losing to Joseph R. Biden Jr., he had mounted a campaign of lies that the presidency was being stolen from him, and that marching on the Capitol was the last chance to stop it. To many Americans, it looked like one more feel-good rally to salve Mr. Trumps wounded ego, but some of his supporters heard something altogether different a battle cry.

Now, dozens of them have been arrested including an armed Alabama man who had Molotov cocktails in his car and a West Virginia lawmaker charged with illegally entering the Capitol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is asking for help in identifying those who actively instigated violence. Many participants in the march are frantically working to erase digital evidence of their presence for fear of losing a job or being harassed online.

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, has been broadly condemned and cut off from his social media megaphones, as a new administration prepares to take power.

Kevin Haag, 67, a retired landscaper from North Carolina who ascended the Capitol steps as the crowd surged forward, said he did not go inside and disapproved of those who did. Even so, he said he would never forget the sense of empowerment as he looked down over thousands of protesters. It felt so good, he said, to show people: We are here. See us! Notice us! Pay attention!

Now, back home after several days of reflection, Mr. Haag, an evangelical Christian, wonders whether he went too far. Should I get down on my knees and ask for forgiveness? he said in an interview. I am asking myself that question.

But the experience seemed to have only hardened the resolve of others. Couy Griffin, 47, a Republican county commissioner from New Mexico, spoke of organizing another Capitol rally soon one that could result in blood running out of that building in a video he later posted to the Facebook page of his group, Cowboys for Trump.

At the end of the day, you mark my word, we will plant our flag on the desk of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, he said. He paused before adding, And Donald J. Trump if it boils down to it.

The advance publicity for the March for America had been robust. Beyond the repeated promotions in tweets by the president and his allies, the upcoming event was cheered on social media, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

But woven through many of the messages to stand up for Mr. Trump and, if possible, block the congressional certification of the election he claimed he had won was language that flirted with aggression, even violence.

For example, the term Storm the Capitol was mentioned 100,000 times in the 30 days preceding Jan. 6, according to Zignal Labs, a media insights company. Many of these mentions appeared in viral tweet threads that discussed the possible storming of the Capitol and included details on how to enter the building.

To followers of QAnon, the convoluted collection of conspiracy theories that falsely claims the country is dominated by deep-state bureaucrats and Democrats who worship Satan, the word storm had particular resonance. Adherents have often referred to a coming storm, after which Mr. Trump would preside over a new government order.

In online discussions, some QAnon followers and militia groups explored which weapons and tools to bring. Pack a crowbar, read one message posted on Gab, a social media refuge for the far right. In another discussion, someone asked, Does anyone know if the windows on the second floor are reinforced?

Still, the many waves of communication did not appear to result in a broadly organized plan to take action. It is also unclear if any big money or coordinated fund-raising was behind the mobilization, though some Trump supporters appear to have found funds through opaque online networks to help pay for transportation to the rally.

Patriots, if you need financial help getting to DC to support President Trump on January 6th, please go to my website, a QAnon adherent who identified himself as Thad Williams, of Tampa, Fla., posted on Twitter three days before the event. He said he had raised more than $27,000. (After the Capitol assault, the money transfer companies PayPal and Stripe shut down his accounts. Mr. Williams did not return a phone message, but the website for his organization, Joy In Liberty, said it had given out $30,000 to fund transportation for deserving patriots.)

Other rally goers set up fund-raising accounts through the online service GoFundMe; Buzzfeed News cited at least a dozen, and GoFundMe has since closed them.

One of the most conspicuous figures in the Capitol assault a bare-chested man with a painted face, flag-draped spear and fur hat with horns was linked to the online fund-raising. A familiar presence at pro-Trump rallies in Phoenix, Jacob Anthony Chansley, a 33-year-old voice-over actor, is known as the Q Shaman. He started a GoFundMe account in December to help pay for transportation to another Trump demonstration in Washington, but the effort reportedly netted him just $10. Mr. Chansley retweeted Mr. Williamss funding offer on Jan. 3, but it is unclear whether he benefited from it.

On Tuesday, the eve of the march, a couple thousand people gathered at Freedom Plaza in Washington for The Rally to Save America event, permitted as The Rally to Revival. The disparate interests of those attending were reflected by the speakers: well-known evangelists, alt-right celebrities (Alex Jones of Infowars) and Trump loyalists, including his former national security adviser Michael Flynn and the self-described Republican dirty trickster Roger Stone, both of whom he had pardoned.

The speakers repeatedly encouraged the attendees to see themselves as foot soldiers fighting to save the country. Americans, Mr. Flynn said, were ready to bleed for freedom.

The members of the House of Representatives, the members of the United States Senate, those of you who are feeling weak tonight, those of you that dont have the moral fiber in your body, get some tonight, he said. Because tomorrow, we the people are going to be here and we want you to know we will not stand for a lie.

Then came tomorrow.

It was President Trumps turn. At about noon on Wednesday, he emerged from a viewing party in a tent, strode onto a stage set up in a park just south of the White House and, for more than an hour, delivered a stream of inflammatory words.

He exhorted the crowd of more than 8,000 to march to the Capitol to pressure lawmakers: Because youll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.

Even before he had finished speaking, people started moving east toward the Capitol. The crowd included supporters who had come by caravan from across the country, Trump flags rippling in the wind, as well as people so moved by the presidents appeal for support that they had jumped into their cars and driven for hours.

They traveled from various corners of resentment in 21st-century America. Whether motivated by a sense of economic disenfranchisement or distrust of government, by bigotry, or conspiracy or a belief that Mr. Trump is Gods way of preparing for the Rapture, they shared a fealty to the president.

Now the moment had come, a moment that twinned the thrilling with the ominous.

Im happy, sad, afraid, excited, said Scott Cyganiewicz, 56, a floor installer from Gardner, Mass., as he watched the throngs of Trump loyalists streaming through the streets. Its an emotional roller coaster.

Mr. Cyganiewicz said he was on his way out of town. He did not want to be around if violence broke out. Only a portion of the broader crowd continued onto the Capitol grounds.

Soon word spread that Vice President Mike Pence who would oversee the pro forma count by Congress of the electoral votes for certification had announced he would not be complicit in the presidents efforts to overturn the election.

You can imagine the emotion that ran through people when we get that word, said Mr. Griffin, the county commissioner from New Mexico, in a video he posted on social media. And then we get down to the Capitol and they have all the inauguration set up for Joe Biden.

He added, What do you think was going to happen?

Many in the crowd spoke portentously of violence or even of another Civil War. A man named Jeff, who said he was an off-duty police officer from York County, Pa., said he didnt know what would happen after he and his wife Amy reached the Capitol. But he felt ready to participate if something were to erupt.

Theres a lot of people here willing to take orders, he said. If the orders are given, the people will rise up.

By the time the bulk of the crowd reached the building, its leading edge had metastasized into an angry mob. A man barked into a megaphone: Keep moving forward! Fight for Trump, fight for Trump!

Military Tribunals! Hang them! shouted someone wearing a cowboy hat.

Arrest Congress! screamed a woman in a flag scarf.

People surged past a few Capitol Police officers to bang on the windows and doors. Many eyewitness accounts and videos have since emerged that convey the pandemonium as hundreds of people overwhelmed the inadequate law-enforcement presence. In several instances of role reversal, for example, rioters are seen firing what appeared to be pepper spray at police officers trying to prevent mobs from getting closer to the Capitol Building.

After a few minutes, the crowd broke through and began streaming into an empty office. Glass shards crunched under peoples feet, as the scene descended into chaos.

Some stood in awe, while others took action. As one group prepared to break through an entryway, a Trump supporter raised a wine bottle and shouted, Whose way? To which the crowd responded, Our way!

Confusion reigned. Hey whats the Senate side? said a tall man in camouflage and sunglasses. Wheres the Senate? Can somebody Google it?

All the while, members of The Oath Keepers, a self-proclaimed citizens militia, seemed to be standing guard for the transgressors. They wore olive-drab shirts, helmets and patches on their upper-left sleeves that said, Guardians of the Republic and Not on Our Watch.

American flags flapped beside Trump 2020 flags, and people wearing Make America Great Again regalia moved beside people wearing anti-Semitic slogans. Chants of Hell No, Never Joe and Stop the Steal broke out, as did strains of God Bless America and The Star-Spangled Banner.

Derrick Evans of West Virginia, who just two months before had been elected as a Republican state delegate, wandered the halls of the Capitol Building, filming himself and joining in the occasional chant. At one point he shouted, Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!

Outside the building, Mr. Griffin, who was once photographed wearing a 10-gallon hat and sitting across from President Trump in the Oval Office, was now gleefully addressing the camera from atop one of the crowded terraces, declaring it a great day for America. Asserting that we came peacefully, he was interrupted by a man wearing a jacket with a hand-grenade logo, who said, Believe me, we are well armed if we need to be.

Amid the cheers and whoops of excitement were questions of what to do next. Some can be heard hunting for specific members of congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose office was broken into by several people. She and other lawmakers were hiding for fear of their safety.

One image showed a trim man moving through the Senate chamber in full paramilitary regalia: camouflage uniform, Kevlar vest, a mask and baseball cap obscuring his face. He carried a stack of flex cuffs the plastic restraints used by police. The image raised a question yet to be answered: Why carry restraints if not to use them?

Several rioters wielded fire extinguishers. One stood on a balcony on the Capitol buildings west side, spraying down on police officers trying to fend off the crowd. Others carried them into the building itself, one into Statuary Hall and another onto the steps outside the Senate Chamber, spraying in the direction of journalists and police officers.

Our president wants us here, a man can be heard saying during a livestream video that showed him standing within the Capitol building. We wait and take orders from our president.

Despite his followers hopes and expectations, President Trump was missing in action as rioters rampaged through the halls of Congress. It would be hours before he eventually surfaced in a somewhat subdued videotaped appeal for them to leave.

We have to have peace, he said. So go home, we love you, youre very special.

Some of Mr. Trumps supporters expressed frustration, even disbelief, that the president seemed to have given up after they had put themselves on the line for him.

Mr. Haag, the retired landscaper, was among the disappointed. Still, he said, the movement will continue even without Mr. Trump.

We are representing the 74 million people who got disenfranchised, he said. We are still out here. We are a force to be reckoned with. We are not going away.

One man wandered away from the Capitol in the evening gloom, yelling angrily through a megaphone that Mr. Pence was a coward and, now, Mr. Trump had told everyone to just go home.

Well, he can go home to his Mar-a-Lago estate, the man shouted, adding, We gotta go back to our businesses that are closed!

In the aftermath of what Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, called a failed insurrection, scores of those who responded to the incendiary words of the president now face a reckoning.

A chief target of investigators will be whoever struck Brian Sicknick of the Capitol Police with a fire extinguisher; the 42-year-old officer died Thursday after being injured in the riot. At the same time, authorities are investigating the fatal police shooting of Ashli Babbitt, 35, an Air Force veteran who had joined those breaching the Capitol.

Among those charged so far with federal crimes are Mr. Chansley, the so-called Q Shaman; Mr. Evans, the West Virginia lawmaker who resigned on Saturday; and Richard Barnett, an Arkansas man who was depicted in a widely circulated photograph sitting with his foot on a desk in Ms. Pelosis office.

Meanwhile, Mr. Griffin, the commissioner from New Mexico who runs Cowboys for Trump, saw his groups Twitter account suspended and calls for his resignation.

The anger, resentment and conspiracy-laced distrust that led to Wednesdays mayhem did not dissipate with Thursdays dawn. Along with the smashed furniture in the Capitol Building, there were smashed expectations of a continued Trump presidency, of lawmakers held to account, of holy prophecies fulfilled.

Signs of potential violence have already surfaced. Twitter, which terminated Mr. Trumps account on Friday, noted that plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating online, including a proposed secondary attack on the U.S. Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17.

The urge for more civil unrest is being discussed in the usual squalid corners of the internet. Private chat groups on Gab and Parler are peppered with talk of a possible Million Militia March on Jan. 20 that would disrupt the presidential inauguration of Mr. Biden.

There is chatter about ride shares, where to find lodging in the Washington area and what to bring. Baseball bats, perhaps, or assault rifles.

We took the building once, one commenter posted, we can take it again.

Reporting was contributed by Sabrina Tavernise, Sheera Frenkel, David D. Kirkpatrick, Campbell Robertson, Mark Scheffler and Haley Willis.

Link:

Our President Wants Us Here: The Mob That Stormed the Capitol - The New York Times

Date: Tuesday, February 2, 2021

A man with local ties and self-proclaimed member of the Proud Boys was arrested Friday in Corinth on charges related to the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Daniel Goodwyn, 32, was one of many in an insurrectionist mob made up of ardent supporters of Donald Trump that stormed the Capitol that day, according to a criminal complaint filed against Goodwyn by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As the U.S. Congress convened to certify the presidential election results, the large crowd forced entry into the building, forcing the Congress members to be evacuated. Several people, including a U.S. Capitol police officer, died during the riot, according to the Associated Press.

Goodwyn was seen and identified in a video that was live-streamed online in which Goodwyn called a police officer an oathbreaker after the officer directed him out of the building. An associate of Goodwyns identified him in the video and also showed the FBI some social media messages and posts by Goodwyn from the Capitol siege. In one post, a message from his account said I didnt break or take anything but I went inside for a couple minutes.

According to the complaint, Goodwyn is a self-proclaimed member of the Proud Boys, a far-right mens organization that received national attention in the first presidential debate when Trump was asked to denounce them and he told them to stand back and stand by.

According to Goodwyns website and LinkedIn pages, he attended Marcus High School in Flower Mound before moving to San Francisco. He was with family in Corinth last week when he was taken into custody and charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Continued here:

'Proud Boy' with local ties charged in storming of US Capitol - The Cross Timbers Gazette