Formed: 2016

Disbanded: Group is active.

First Attack: 2018

Last Attack: 2021

Executive Summary

The Proud Boys is an all-male, far-right extremist organization formed in the United States in 2016.   The group is Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic, and xenophobic.  The Proud Boys attend events with far-right organizations that advocate white supremacist and anti-government ideologies, though the Proud Boys leadership deny ties to white supremacy and neo-Nazism. The group is also semi-accelerationist in that it advocates violence in readiness for civil war in the United States. Most of the group’s public activity involves protesting or attending political rallies and events, typically with the intent to provoke violence. 

Group Narrative

Gavin McInnes founded Proud Boys in 2016 as a far-right fraternal organization. The group has since grown more extremist. In February 2019, McInnes filed a defamation lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) over their designation of the Proud Boys as a hate group. The SPLC replied that “rank-and-file Proud Boys and leaders regularly spout white nationalist memes and maintain affiliations with known extremists.”[1] The group was designated a terrorist entity by the Canadian government in 2021. The Proud Boys was a major player in the riots at the U.S. capitol on January 6, 2021.[2]

Gavin McInnes is a far-right political pundit who openly describes himself as xenophobic. McInnes was born in England and raised in Canada. He immigrated from Canada to the United States in 1999 when Vice magazine, a publication that McInnes co-founded, moved its offices from Montreal to New York City.[3] Throughout the early 2000s, McInnes developed increasingly radical views on racism and white supremacy – ideas that came through in his writing for Vice. In 2008, McInnes left Vice after the organization filed a separation agreement. After leaving Vice, McInnes was hired to write a weekly column for Taki’s Magazine, an online magazine that publishes far-right content.[4] 

It was in an article for Taki’s Magazine that McInnes announced the formation of the Proud Boys. The article was written by McInnes and was published online on September 15, 2016. It reported that the Proud Boys “started in the fall after congregating on Compound Media (full disclosure: I work there) and laughing at the politically correct culture they insist we take seriously.”[5] The Proud Boys existed as an informal group centered around McInnes before the official announcement. In July 2016, it was reported that McInnes had “convened his local ‘Proud Boys’ chapter for their first in-person meeting.”[6] In the September 2016 article, McInnes reported that the Proud Boys had over 1,000 members on its private Facebook page. He claimed that there were Proud Boys chapters around the world, including in New York City, New Jersey, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nashville, Texas, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. McInnes also outlined steps for readers to start their own Proud Boys chapters.[7]

The group’s official ideology includes an oath of allegiance to western culture and stresses elevating masculinity, opposing Islam, and defending its community from a perceived “war on whites.”[8] Members of the Proud Boys undergo initiation rituals in order to gain degrees of status within the group. The first level requires members to take an oath: “I am a Western chauvinist and I refuse to apologize for creating the modern world.” At this point, members are permitted to attend formal Proud Boys meetings, which usually consist of “drinking, fighting, and reading aloud from Pat Buchanan’s Death of the West,” an anti-immigrant treatise, according to McInnes. The next level of membership involves getting repeatedly punched until members can recite five kinds of breakfast cereal. To progress to the third level, members must get a Proud Boys logo tattoo.[9] Members achieve the highest level of status once they engage in violence on the group’s behalf, such as assaulting a left-wing activist. For example, in January 2017, McInnes was filmed punching a counter-protester at the Deploraball, a Washington, D.C.-based far-right gathering. When discussing his assault at a speaking event the next month, McInnes declared: “I cannot recommend violence enough. It’s a really effective way to solve problems.”[10]

Some Proud Boys goals include ending welfare, closing borders, and promoting traditional gender roles.[11] The name “Proud Boys” references a song from the musical Aladdin, “Proud of Your Boy,”[12] a name McInnes reportedly chose because he believed that the song denigrated men. He regarded the name as an ironic way to celebrate far-right views of gender roles and masculinity.[13]

The Proud Boys have a large online following and a smaller core group of members who instigate operations and attend events in person. Analysts estimated that, by the end of 2017, there were 6,000 official Proud Boys members and more than 40,000 followers on the group’s social media pages.[14] In more recent years, the extent of the group’s online following became less clear since Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube banned the group in 2018.[15] 

Proud Boys activities range from passive online consumption of propaganda to participation in overt action, notably by targeting political adversaries at protests.[16] In March 2017, a Proud Boys member named Brandon Vaughan of the Ottawa, Canada, chapter assaulted a Palestinian-American community college professor. Videos of the assault show Proud Boys members fighting alongside the Jewish Defense League, a right-wing militant organization.[17]

In March 2017, a man named Kyle Chapman was arrested for beating a counter-protester with a wooden dowel rod during the “Battle for Berkeley,” a pro-Trump rally in northern California that members of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, an anti-government militant group, also attended.[18] Shortly after, the Proud Boys raised more than $87,000 to pay for Chapman’s bail and legal fees. Chapman was also contacted by Proud Boys leader Gavin McInnes and brought into the organization.

In April 2017, after the violent “Second Battle of Berkeley” protest, Chapman announced the formation of the Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights (FOAK). The FOAK was originally organized as the “tactical defense arm” of the Proud Boys.[19] In a Facebook post, Chapman wrote that the FOAK aimed to “protect and defend our right wing brethren when the police and government fail to do so.”[20] FOAK members have wielded weapons at rallies and events, such as hammers, daggers, and pepper spray.[21] While the FOAK and the Proud Boys insist that they only engaged in violence in self-defense, Chapman encouraged members to provoke confrontation. For example, he told followers in June and July 2017 to declare “open season on Antifa,” “smash on sight,” and lynch politicians who endorse immigration.[22] 

The Proud Boys has frequently attended far-right demonstrations, such as the “March Against Sharia” rallies in June 2017, which were organized by the Islamophobic hate group ACT for America. In July 2017, the Proud Boys joined other anti-government militant groups, namely the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters, to caravan through Islamberg, New York.  They claimed that the rural community was “an Islamic training ground.”[23]

 The next month, the Proud Boys received national attention following the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. A woman was killed and 19 other people were injured at the event. The rally was organized by former Proud Boys member Jason Kessler, who, along with other organizers, was found liable for injuries to counter-protesters in a civil suit in Virginia.[24]  McInnes later attempted to distance the group from the event, claiming that the Proud Boys had “nothing to do with it.”[25] However, Jason Kessler discussed the rally less than two months earlier on McInnes’s talk show, “The Gavin McInnes Show,” and Proud Boys members (including future Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio) attended the rally.[26]

Throughout 2017-2018, the Proud Boys continued to engage in street violence targeting their political opponents on the left. The group often coordinated with Patriot Prayer – a Washington-based far-right group – to target left-wing activists in the Pacific northwest.[27]Following June 2018 protests in Portland, Oregon, several Proud Boys members were arrested for assaulting counter-protestors.[28] Two months later, Twitter suspended both the accounts of Proud Boys and McInnes, and Facebook and Instagram following suit shortly after.[29]

In October 2018, McInnes gave a speech at the Metropolitan Republican Club in New York City, reportedly attended by members of a local neo-Nazi skinhead group, the 211 Boot Boys. [30] A fight broke out after the event between the Proud Boys and counter-protestors, resulting in the arrests of 10 Proud Boys members on charges including attempted assault, gang assault, and riot. Convictions and prison sentences followed. 

In the face of mounting pressure and legal threats, McInnes announced in a late November YouTube video that he was “officially disassociating” himself from the Proud Boys. He called this move a legal gesture that would “show jurors they are not dealing with a gang and there is no head of operations.”[31] In a 2017 interview, however, McInnes had proclaimed, “I started this gang called the Proud Boys” that engages in violence “for fun.”[32]

Subsequently, Jason Lee Van Dyke became the de-facto chairman of the Proud Boys. Van Dyke was a practicing lawyer, and he served as the Proud Boys primary legal counsel and the sergeant-at-arms of the Dallas/Fort Worth Proud Boys chapter.  In August 2017, Van Dyke had filed an application to trademark the name “Proud Boys,” which was registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office in May 2018.[33] When Proud Boys leader and founder Gavin McInnes stepped down in November 2018, Van Dyke was elected as the group’s new leader by members of the Proud Boys leadership council, known as the Elders Chapter. However, Van Dyke was soon removed after only serving two days as chairman after he failed to redact the Elders’ names when he published the group’s new bylaws online.[34] The Proud Boys website announced that Van Dyke left the group on November 29, 2018, although Van Dyke remains the owner of trademark.[35]

Enrique Tarrio, who previously led the Miami, Florida, chapter, was then appointed as national chairman. Tarrio has been known to use his Afro-Cuban ethnicity, as well as the ethnicity of other non-white Proud Boys members, as evidence that the group does not promote white supremacy. However, Tarrio has espoused racist sentiments on his personal social media accounts and attended white supremacist gatherings.[36]

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the groups’ paramilitary wing, the Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights, was dissolved in early 2018 because of infighting and legal pressures facing FOAK leader Chapman.[37] However, some Proud Boys members still wore FOAK patches, and Chapman remained a member of the group.[38] In 2020, Chapman reportedly tried to take over the leadership of the group. In a post published on Telegram, Chapman complained that the Proud Boys was not radical enough and should take a more hardline white supremacist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic stance. Chapman wanted to reorient the group to better address issues of “White Genocide” and the “failures of multiculturalism.” In his post, Chapman claimed to take over leadership of the group: “Due to the recent failure of Proud Boy Chairman Enrique Tarrio to conduct himself with honor and courage on the battlefield, it has been decided that I Kyle Chapman reassume my post as President of Proud Boys effective immediately.”[39] Despite this rhetoric, however, Chapman did not successfully take over control of the Proud Boys. [40]

In November 2018, there were reports that the Proud Boys was designated as an “extremist group with ties to white nationalism” by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).[41] However, the FBI soon issued a correction to clarify that the FBI had not designated the Proud Boys as extremist.[42] There is no legal mechanism in the United States to designate a domestic group as terrorist or extremist.[43] However, the FBI can list individuals on its Terrorist Screening Database, a watchlist that is distinct from the “No Fly” list and the designation of foreign terrorist organizations. At the time of the attack on the Capitol, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database reportedly contained the names of dozens of participants in the riot, many of whom were suspected white supremacists.[44] The names of individuals listed in the Terrorist Screening Database are not made public, and it is unknown whether Proud Boys members are included.

The wave of civil and political unrest associated with the 2020 presidential election gave the Proud Boys new opportunities to engage in coordinated violence, specifically against left-wing protestors in Democrat-heavy areas like Portland, Oregon. The Proud Boys engaged in near-daily violent demonstrations in Portland during summer 2020, leading the state’s governor to declare a state of emergency in September.[45] Proud Boys members were videoed using baseball bats and other weapons to assault opposing protestors.[46]

Proud Boys member Alan Swinney was arrested on numerous assault and unlawful weapon charges following a Portland demonstration on August 22.[47] In September, Swinney gained national attention when news outlets published a series of leaked messages between Proud Boys members and other far-right militia groups – such as Patriot Prayer, Resist Marxism, and American Guard.[48] A message from Swinney read: “We need to inflict as much damage as possible in the time we have.” Another group member, Anthony Mastrostefano, proclaimed: “When the time comes, I will stop at nothing to fully eradicate them all,” referring to the Proud Boy’s political enemies.[49]

In late 2020, the group generated new interest and membership. Tarrio claimed that over 20,000 new members joined the Proud Boys.[50]  This surge may have been due in part to the comments of then U.S. President Trump during the first presidential debate. When asked if he would publicly denounce white supremacist groups like the Proud Boys, Trump responded, “Proud Boys stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left.”[51] Analysts found that Proud Boys members on the conservative social media site Parler and the encrypted messaging app Telegram interpreted Trump’s comments as an endorsement of the group. One Proud Boys member said that Trump was giving them permission to attack counter-protestors.[52] Other Proud Boys members turned the former president’s comments into an opportunity for recruitment and fundraising, selling merchandise with the group’s logo and the message, “PROUD BOYS STANDING BY.”[53]

Following the November 2020 presidential election, the Proud Boys participated in “Stop the Steal” events across the United States.[54] Between the election and President Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021, more than 70% of Proud Boys-related events took place in state capitals and Washington, D.C., which suggests a shift to focusing on the government as enemy.[55]

On December 12, 2020, the Proud Boys descended into Washington, D.C. for a “Stop the Steal” campaign event dubbed the “2nd Million MAGA March.” The demonstration mostly consisted of Proud Boys members, other Trump supporters, and far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.[56] As was typical, the Proud Boys provoked fights with counter-protestors. At least four people were stabbed near Harry’s, a dive bar where the Proud Boys gathered during the march. Although several eyewitness and video reports showed Proud Boys members involved in the stabbings, no arrests were made. On the National Mall, Proud Boys members and other far-right rioters were filmed assaulting a counter-protestor.[57] Later that day, several Proud Boys members were involved in attacks against two historic Black churches, United Asbury Methodist and Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church.[58] The former congregation filed a lawsuit against Tarrio and the Proud Boys, alleging the group’s members perpetrated acts of terror and vandalism against the church.[59]

The “Stop the Steal” campaign culminated in the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol to prevent the certification of the 2020 election. Tarrio had encouraged Proud Boys members to travel to D.C., asserting on his personal social media pages: “We will not be wearing our traditional black and yellow. We will be incognito and we will spread across downtown DC in smaller teams.”[60] However, when Tarrio arrived in D.C. two days before the rally, he was arrested in connection with the December 2020 attack on United Asbury Methodist Church, mentioned above, when he burned a Black Lives Matter banner and was found to be in possession of high-capacity firearm magazines.[61] In August 2021, he was sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty. Tarrio admitted to the court that he had made a grave mistake for which he apologized profusely.[62]

Ethan Nordean took charge after Tarrio’s arrest.  U.S. prosecutors allege that Nordean led the Proud Boys in executing their plan to split up into groups and attack the Capitol from as many points as possible.[63] Video evidence shows Proud Boys member Dominic Pezzola shattering a window on the west side of the building, allowing Proud Boys members William Pepe, Gilbert Garcia, and Joseph Biggs to be among the first rioters to enter the Capitol.[64] In November 2021, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 assault on the Capitol issued subpoenas naming Proud Boys International and Enrique Tarrio.[65] Although the federal investigation into the event was ongoing as of January 2022, more than 30 Proud Boys members had been indicted on charges connected with the assault.[66] One Proud Boys member has publicly pled guilty to charges and promised to cooperate with government investigators.[67]

In February 2021, the Canadian federal government designated the Proud Boys as a terrorist entity, citing its role in the riot at the U.S. Capitol.[68] Shortly after, at least one Proud Boys chapter in Canada announced that it had “officially” dissolved itself.[69] The Proud Boys’ U.S. chapters also began to split off, especially after leaked reports about Tarrio’s past as an informant for local authorities and the FBI.[70] Several Proud Boys chapters issued social media posts distancing themselves from the national leadership or “any subsequent body that is formed to replace them,” with some chapters claiming they had disbanded altogether.[71]

Analysts argue that reports of Proud Boys disbanding or distancing from the national leadership should be viewed with caution.[72]  They warn that new factions of the organization are drifting further right and growing increasingly violent. Infighting about what direction the Proud Boys should take allows more extreme members to gain prominence among the group’s large network of followers.[73] For example, the former “Proud Boys Uncensored” Telegram channel was rebranded, dropping the “Proud Boys” name to focus more on spreading ultra-nationalism and other neo-fascist ideologies.[74]

Statements from Proud Boys members also indicated a growing disillusionment with the Republican Party. Nordean accused President Trump of abandoning the group by failing to pardon himself and other Proud Boys members charged in connection to the insurrection, lamenting: “Yes he woke us up, but he led us to believe some great justice was upon us ... and it never happened.”[75]

Despite internal and external pressures, Proud Boys showed no sign of slowing down its activities. Rather, it continued to mobilize in 2021—sometimes violently—in response to continued narratives related to the “Stop the Steal” campaign and the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports found a strong presence of COVID-19 conspiracy theories on social media accounts associated with the Proud Boys, with the majority of disinformation posts arguing that COVID-19 was created by Bill Gates.[76] Proud Boys appeared at more than 20 events in 13 cities across North America in the six months after January 6, 2021.[77]  Between 50-60 Proud Boys members attended an April 2021 protest in Fresno, California, where fights broke out.[78] In August 2021, dozens of Proud Boys engaged in street fights with counter-protestors, shooting paintball guns and smashing windows.[79]

In December 2021, it was reported that Proud Boys chapters are becoming increasingly involved in local politics. Members of the group have been present at school board and town council meetings in several states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, and North Carolina. The shift from national to local politics is seen by some researchers to be part of a larger strategy to attract new members by championing local causes, such as challenging coronavirus restrictions and mask mandates.[80] 

 

[1] Kennedy, Merrit. “Proud Boys Founder Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Southern Poverty Law Center.” NPR, February 5, 2019. https://www.npr.org/2019/02/05/691643824/proud-boys-founder-files-defam….

[2] “Proud Boys: Canada labels far-right group a terrorist entity.” BBC, February 3, 2021. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55923485.

[3] Borow, Zev. “Will The Last Hipster Please Turn Out The Lights?” New York Magazine, November 19, 2004. https://nymag.com/nymetro/urban/features/10488/; Gollner, Adam Leith. “The Secret History of Gavin McInnes.” Vanity Fair, June 29, 2021. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/the-secret-history-of-gavin-mcinnes 

[4] Gollner, Adam Leith. “The Secret History of Gavin McInnes.” Vanity Fair, June 29, 2021. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/the-secret-history-of-gavin-mcinnes 

[5] McInnes, Gavin. “Introducing: The Proud Boys.” Taki’s Magazine, September 15, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160916202125/https://www.takimag.com/article/introducing_the_proud_boys_gavin_mcinnes/

[6] Nicole Disser, “Gavin McInnes and His ‘Proud Boys’ Want to Make Men Great Again,” Bedford and Bowery, July 28, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20190209020443/https://bedfordandbowery.com….

[7] McInnes, Gavin. “Introducing: The Proud Boys.” Taki’s Magazine, September 15, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160916202125/https://www.takimag.com/article/introducing_the_proud_boys_gavin_mcinnes/

[8] Feuer, Alan and Jeremy W. Peters. “Fringe Groups Revel as Protests Turn Violent.” The New York Times, June 2, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/us/politics/white-nationalists-alt-knights-protests-colleges.html.

[9] Wendling, Mike. “Proud Boys and antifa: When a right-wing activist met a left-wing anti-fascist.” BBC, March 8, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-47332054.

[10] “Proud Boys.” Southern Poverty Law Center. Accessed August 8, 2021. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/proud-boys

[11] Rosenberg, Eli. “FBI considers Proud Boys extremists with white-nationalist ties, law enforcement officials say.” The Washington Post, November 20, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/20/fbi-says-proud-boys-ha….

[12] “Proud Boys.” Anti-defamation League. Accessed January 15, 2021. https://www.adl.org/proudboys

[13] Wick, Julia. “Newsletter: Who are the Proud Boys?” Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2020. https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2020-10-01/proud-boys-tru…; Hawkins, Derek, Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Craig Timberg. “Trump’s ‘stand by’ remark puts the Proud Boys in the spotlight.” The Washington Post, September 30, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/30/proudboys1001/

[14] “Proud Boys.” Southern Poverty Law Center. Accessed August 8, 2021. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/proud-boys.

[15] Wendling, Mike. “US Election 2020: Who are the Proud Boys – and who are antifa?” BBC, September 30, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54352635.; The Associated Press. “Far-right group Proud Boys banned from Facebook, Instagram.” Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, October 31, 2018. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/proud-boys-facebook-instagram-1.4886514.

[16] Campbell, Andy. “Leaked Proud Boys Chats Show Members Plotting Violence At Rallies.” Huffington Post, May 22, 2019. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/proud-boys-chat-logs-premeditate-rally-v….

[17] Crawford, Blair. “Ottawa Man Skips Arraignment in U.S. for Assault, Hate Crimes.” Canoe News, May 1, 2018. https://canoe.com/news/local-news/warrant-issued-after-ottawa-man-skips….

[18] Feuer, Alan and Jeremy W. Peters. “Fringe Groups Revel as Protests Turn Violent.” The New York Times, June 2, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/us/politics/white-nationalists-alt-knights-protests-colleges.html

[19] “Fraternal Order of Alt Knights (FOAK).” Southern Poverty Law Center. Accessed August 8, 2021. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/fraternal….

[20] Dinkelspiel, Frances. “Berkeley braces itself for a day of rallies that may turn violent.” Berkeleyside, April 27, 2017. https://www.berkeleyside.org/2017/04/27/berkeley-braces-day-rallies-may-turn-violent

[21] “Fraternal Order of Alt Knights (FOAK).” Southern Poverty Law Center. Accessed August 8, 2021. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/fraternal….

[22] “Fraternal Order of Alt Knights (FOAK).” Southern Poverty Law Center. Accessed August 8, 2021. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/fraternal….

[23] Gabby Del Valle. “Real American Terrorists,” The Outline, July 28, 2017. https://theoutline.com/post/1996/real-american-terrorists.

[24] MacFarquhar, Neil, “Jury Finds Rally Organizers Responsible for Charlottesville Violence,” The New York Times, November 23, 2021.  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/us/charlottesville-rally-verdict.html.  Accessed December 12, 2021.

[25] Irons, Meghan E. “‘Free-Speech’ Rally Set for Boston Has Some Concerned.” The Boston Globe, August 13, 2017. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/08/13/free-speech-rally-has-some….

[26] Woodhouse, Leighton Akio. “After Charlottesville, the American Far Right Is Tearing Itself Apart.” The Intercept, September 21, 2017. https://theintercept.com/2017/09/21/gavin-mcinnes-alt-right-proud-boys-….

[27] Wilson, Jason. “FBI Now Classifies Far-Right Proud Boys as 'Extremist Group', Documents Say,” The Guardian, November 19, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/19/proud-boys-fbi-classifica….

[28] Wilson, Jason. “Riot in Portland as Far-Right Marchers Clash with Anti-Fascists,” The Guardian, July 1, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/01/riot-in-portland-as-far….

[29] Matthews, Karen. “Facebook, Instagram Ban Far-Right Proud Boys and Founder.” Associated Press, October 31, 2018. https://apnews.com/article/2714b6a697d34f59982c398a235858e7.

[30] Feuer, Alan. “Proud Boys Founder: How He Went from Brooklyn Hipster to Far-Right Provocateur.” The New York Times, October 16, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/nyregion/proud-boys-gavin-mcinnes.ht….

[31] Wilson, Jason. “Proud Boys Founder Gavin McInnes Quits 'Extremist' Far-Right Group.” The Guardian, November 22, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/22/proud-boys-founder-gavin-….

[32] Scallly. Gavin McInnes Describes Proud Boys to Joe Rogan (YouTube, 2018), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXTPG00OiYc.

[33] Wilson, Jason. “Gavin McInnes: Founder of far-right Proud Boys denied Australian visa – report.” The Guardian, November 30, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/30/gavin-mcinnes-proud-boys-….; “Proud Boys – far-right group’s trademark could face cancellation, legal experts claim.” World Trademark Review, January 8, 2021. https://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/brand-management/proud-boystm-far-….

[34] McPhate, Christian. “Humbled Proud Boy: Attorney Jason Lee Van Dyke Claims an Internet ‘Stalker’ Is Ruining His Life.” Dallas Observer, April 17, 2019. https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/former-proud-boy-lawyer-jason-van-dyke-says-an-internet-stalker-is-destroying-his-career-11641420

[35] Wilson, Jason. “Gavin McInnes: Founder of far-right Proud Boys denied Australian visa – report.” The Guardian, November 30, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/30/gavin-mcinnes-proud-boys-….; “Proud Boys – far-right group’s trademark could face cancellation, legal experts claim.” World Trademark Review, January 8, 2021. https://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/brand-management/proud-boystm-far-….

[36] Trouillard, Stéphanie. “Enrique Tarrio, the Cuban-American Leader of the Far-Right 'Proud Boys'.” France24, June 1, 2021. https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20210106-who-exactly-is-enrique-ta….

[37] “Proud Boys.” Southern Poverty Law Center. Accessed August 8, 2021. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/proud-boys

[38] Weill, Kelly. “The Post-Election Proud Boys Meltdown Is Here, and It's Ugly.” The Daily Beast, November 11, 2020. https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-post-election-proud-boys-meltdown-is-…

[39] Palmer, Ewan. “Proud Boys Infighting Sees Leading Member Form Breakaway Group to Fight ‘White Genocide’.” Newsweek, November 11, 2020. https://www.newsweek.com/proud-boys-based-stickman-enrique-tarrio-goys-….

[40] Weill, Kelly. “The Post-Election Proud Boys Meltdown Is Here, and It's Ugly.” The Daily Beast, November 11, 2020. https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-post-election-proud-boys-meltdown-is-…

[41] Rosenberg, Eli. “FBI considers Proud Boys extremists with white-nationalist ties, law enforcement officials say.” Washington Post, November 19, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/20/fbi-says-proud-boys-have-white-nationalist-ties-law-enforcement-officials-say/

[42] Templeton, Amelia, and Conrad Wilson. “Portland FBI Head Clarifies Statement On Proud Boys.” OPB, December 4, 2018. https://www.opb.org/news/article/portland-fbi-proud-boys-clarifies-statement/

[43] Meier, Anna. “What Does a "Terrorist" Designation Mean?” Lawfare Blog, July 19, 2020. https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-does-terrorist-designation-mean 

[44] Barrett, Devlin , Spencer S. Hsu and Marissa J. Lang. “Dozens of people on FBI terrorist watch list came to D.C. the day of Capitol riot.” Washington Post, January 14, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/terror-watchlist-capitol-riot-fbi/2021/01/14/07412814-55f7-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html

[45] Hay, Andrew. “Oregon Governor 'Incredibly Worried' about Violence at Proud Boys Rally.” Rueters, September 25, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-protests-portland/oregon….

[46] Haas, Ryan, Sergio Olmos, and Bradley W Parks. “Protesters Fight Using Pepper Spray, Baseball Bats in Portland on Saturday.” OPB News, August 22, 2020. https://www.opb.org/article/2020/08/22/conservative-protesters-plan-rallies-in-downtown-portland/.;

[47] Wilson, Conrad. “Police Arrest Far-Right Protester Who Pointed Gun at Portland Rally.” OPB News, September 30, 2020. https://www.opb.org/article/2020/09/30/police-arrest-far-right-proteste….

[48] Little, Alice. “Leaked: 2019 Chats Show Alan Swinney Collaborating with Proud Boys, American Guard, and Militias to Plan Violent Rallies.” Unicorn Riot, September 25, 2020. https://unicornriot.ninja/2020/leaked-2019-chats-show-alan-swinney-collaborating-with-proud-boys-american-guard-and-militias-to-plan-violent-rallies/.; Campbell, Andy. “Leaked Proud Boys Chats Show Members Plotting Violence At Rallies.” Huffington Post, May 22, 2019. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/proud-boys-chat-logs-premeditate-rally-v….

[49] Little, Alice. “Leaked: 2019 Chats Show Alan Swinney Collaborating with Proud Boys, American Guard, and Militias to Plan Violent Rallies.” Unicorn Riot, September 25, 2020. https://unicornriot.ninja/2020/leaked-2019-chats-show-alan-swinney-coll….

[50] Kaplan, Joshua, and Joaquin Sapien. “New Details Suggest Senior Trump Aides Knew Jan. 6 Rally Could Get Chaotic.” ProPublica, June 25, 2021. https://www.propublica.org/article/new-details-suggest-senior-trump-aid….

[51] Ronayne, Kathleen, and Michael Kunzelman. “Trump to Far-Right Extremists: ‘Stand Back and Stand by.’” Associated Press, September 30, 2020. https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-d….

[52] Hawkins, Derek, Cleve R Wootson, and Craig Timberg. “Trump's 'Stand by' Remarks Puts Proud Boys in the Spotlight.” The Washington Post, October 1, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/30/proudboys1001/.

[53] Timberg, Craig, and Elizabeth Dwoskin. “Trump’s Debate Comments Give an Online Boost to a Group Social Media Companies Have Long Struggled Against.” The Washington Post, September 30, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/09/30/trump-debate-right….

[54] Kishi, Roudabeh, Hampton Stall, and Sam Jones. “The Future of 'Stop the Steal': Post-Election Trajectories for RIGHT-WING Mobilization in the US.” Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), February 11, 2021. https://acleddata.com/2020/12/10/the-future-of-stop-the-steal-post-elec….

[55] Wolfson, Aaron, and Hampton Stall. “Actor Profile: Proud Boys.” ACLED, May 3, 2021. https://acleddata.com/2021/04/22/actor-profile-proud-boys/.

[56] Kaplan, Joshua, and Joaquin Sapien. “New Details Suggest Senior Trump Aides Knew Jan. 6 Rally Could Get Chaotic.” ProPublica, June 25, 2021. https://www.propublica.org/article/new-details-suggest-senior-trump-aid….

[57] Crowley, James. “Videos Show Scuffles Between Proud Boys and Others During 2nd Million MAGA March in D.C.” Newsweek, December 12, 2020. https://www.newsweek.com/proud-boys-december-million-maga-march-attacks….

[58] Klein, Allison. “Historic D.C. Black Churches Attacked during pro-Trump Rallies Saturday.” The Washington Post, December 13, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/historic-black-churc….

[59] “Church, Civil Rights Group Suing Proud Boys Over Theft, Vandalism Of BLM Signs.” NPR, January 5, 2021. https://www.npr.org/local/305/2021/01/05/953574644/church-civil-rights-….

[60] Zitser, Joshua. “Far-Right Group Proud Boys Claim They Will Attend January 6 DC Rally ‘Incognito’ and Wear All-Black to Blend in with Antifa Protesters.” Business Insider, January 3, 2021. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/proud-boys-attend-january-6-dc-rally….

[61] Moore, Elena. “D.C. Police Arrest Leader Of The Proud Boys Ahead Of Far-Right Protests.” NPR, January 4, 2021. https://www.npr.org/2021/01/04/953349879/d-c-police-prepare-for-far-rig….

[62] Duggan, Paul, “Proud Boys leader Henry ‘Enrique’ Tarrio sentenced to five months in jail,” The Washington Post, August 23, 2021.  https://www-washingtonpost-com.stanford.idm.oclc.org/legal-issues/tarrio-proud-boy-jail-sentence/2021/08/23/df06b84a-041b-11ec-a266-7c7fe02fa374_story.html.  Accessed December 12, 2021. 

[63] “Prosecutors Says Proud Boys' Plan to Invade Capitol Involved Attacking from Multiple Points.” The Boston Globe, March 2, 2021. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/02/nation/prosecutors-says-proud-bo….

[64] Kriner, Matthew, and Jon Lewis. “Pride & Prejudice: The Violent Evolution of the Proud Boys.” CTC Sentinel 14, no. 6 (2021). https://ctc.usma.edu/pride-prejudice-the-violent-evolution-of-the-proud….

[65] Broadwater, Luke and Alan Feuer. “House Panel Investigating Capitol Attack Subpoenas Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.” The New York Times, November 23, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/us/politics/jan-6-proud-boys-oathkeepers.html

[66] “Capitol Hill Siege.” Program on Extremism. George Washington University. Accessed August 20, 2021. https://extremism.gwu.edu/Capitol-Hill-Cases.

[67] Lukpat, Alyssa. “Proud Boys Member Pleads Guilty and Will Cooperate in Jan. 6 Riot Inquiry.” The New York Times, December 22, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/22/us/capitol-riot-matthew-greene-guilty.html

[68] Austen, Ian. “Canada Formally Declares Proud Boys a Terrorist Group.” The New York Times, February 4, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/world/canada/canada-proud-boys-terro….

[69] Lamoureux, Mack. “At Least One Canadian Proud Boys Chapter Has Shut Down Following Terror Designation.” Vice News, February 17, 2021. https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkd89b/at-least-one-canadian-proud-boys….

[70] Roston, Aram. “Proud Boys Leader Was ‘Prolific’ Informer for Law Enforcement.” Reuters, January 27, 2021. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-proudboys-leader-exclusive/exclu….

[71] Carless, Will. “Proud Boys Splintering after Capitol Riot, Revelations about Leader. Will More Radical Factions Emerge?” USA Today, February 12, 2021. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/12/proud-boys-splint….

[72] Makuch, Ben. “Neo-Nazi Group The Base Is Recruiting Again, Despite FBI Takedown.” Vice News, May 20, 2021. https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx5n8x/neo-nazi-group-the-base-is-recruiting-again-despite-fbi-takedown.; Kriner, Matthew, and Jon Lewis. “Pride & Prejudice: The Violent Evolution of the Proud Boys.” CTC Sentinel 14, no. 6 (2021). https://ctc.usma.edu/pride-prejudice-the-violent-evolution-of-the-proud….

[73] Lang, Marissa. “As Fractures Emerge among Proud Boys, Experts Warn of a Shift toward Extremist Violence.” The Washington Post, February 26, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/proud-boys/2021/02/25/fabdea30-73a….

[74] Wolfson, Aaron, and Hampton Stall. “Actor Profile: Proud Boys.” ACLED, May 3, 2021. https://acleddata.com/2021/04/22/actor-profile-proud-boys/.

[75] Murdock, Sebastian. “Proud Boys Leader Charged In Capitol Attack Feels Betrayed By Trump: ‘You Left Us.’” Huffington Post, May 14, 2021. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/proud-boys-member-charged-in-capitol-att….

[76] Newhouse, Alex, Adel Arlett, and Leela McClintock. “Proud Boys Amplify Anti-Vax and Coronavirus Disinformation Following Support for Anti-Quarantine Protests.” Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism. Smith College, May 1, 2020. https://www.middlebury.edu/institute/sites/www.middlebury.edu.institute….

[77] Owens, Tess. “All the Terrible Things Proud Boys Have Done Since Storming the Capitol.” Vice News, June 23, 2021. https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkb377/all-the-terrible-things-proud-bo….

[78] Edinger, Marie. “City Officials Urge Fresnans to Keep Protests Peaceful.” Fox 26 News, April 14, 2021. https://kmph.com/news/local/city-officials-urging-fresnans-to-keep-prot….

[79] Dowling, Jennifer. “Proud Boys, Antifa in ‘Medieval Clashes’ in Oregon City Riot.” KOIN 6 News, June 18, 2021. https://www.koin.com/news/protests/oregon-city-protests-declared-riot-0….

[80] Frenkel, Sheera. “Proud Boys Regroup, Focusing on School Boards and Town Councils.” The New York Times, December 14, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/14/us/proud-boys-local-issues.html

Disclaimer: These are some selected major attacks in the militant organization's history. It is not a comprehensive listing but captures some of the most famous attacks or turning points during the campaign.

October 12, 2018: Proud Boys founder McInnes gave a speech on October 12, 2018, at the Metropolitan Republican Club in New York City, reportedly attended by members of a local neo-Nazi skinhead group, the 211 Boot Boys. [1] A fight broke out after the event between the Proud Boys and counter-protestors, resulting in the arrests of 10 Proud Boys members on charges including attempted assault, gang assault, and riot. Convictions and prison sentences followed. 

August 15 and 22, 2020:  The Proud Boys engaged in near-daily violent demonstrations in Portland during summer 2020, leading the state’s governor to declare a state of emergency in September.[2] On August 15 and August 22, Proud Boys member Alan Swinney violently attacked people in Portland protesting the murder of George Floyd. He used a paintball gun to shoot protestors, causing serious injury in one instance. Swinney also used bear mace and aimed a loaded handgun at a crowd. Swinney was found guilty of assault and unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm in an October 2021 trial. In December 2021, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.[3]

December 12, 2020: Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio vandalized a Black Lives Matter Banner at the United Asbury Methodist Church during a protest in Washington, DC in December 2021. Tarrio was arrested in January 2021 before the riot at the U.S. Capitol. At the time of his arrest, Tarrio was found to be in possession of high-capacity firearm magazines.[4] In August 2021, he was sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty.[5]

January 6, 2021: More than 60 Proud Boys were reportedly members of an encrypted messaging channel, known as “Boots on the Ground,” to communicate before and during the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021.[6] Although the federal investigation into the event was ongoing as of January 2022, more than 30 Proud Boys members had been indicted on charges connected with the assault.[7] Those charged included a member of the Proud Boys Elders Chapter and local Proud Boys chapter presidents.[8] One Proud Boys member has publicly pled guilty to charges and promised to cooperate with government investigators.[9]

 

[1] Feuer, Alan. “Proud Boys Founder: How He Went from Brooklyn Hipster to Far-Right Provocateur.” The New York Times, October 16, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/nyregion/proud-boys-gavin-mcinnes.ht….

[2] Hay, Andrew. “Oregon Governor 'Incredibly Worried' about Violence at Proud Boys Rally.” Rueters, September 25, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-protests-portland/oregon….

[3] Levenson, Micheal. “Self-Proclaimed Proud Boys Member Gets 10 Years for Violence at Portland Protests.” The New York Times, December 10, 201. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/10/us/proud-boys-alan-swinney-sentenced.html

[4] Moore, Elena. “D.C. Police Arrest Leader Of The Proud Boys Ahead Of Far-Right Protests.” NPR, January 4, 2021. https://www.npr.org/2021/01/04/953349879/d-c-police-prepare-for-far-rig….

[5] Duggan, Paul, “Proud Boys leader Henry ‘Enrique’ Tarrio sentenced to five months in jail,” The Washington Post, August 23, 2021.  https://www-washingtonpost-com.stanford.idm.oclc.org/legal-issues/tarrio-proud-boy-jail-sentence/2021/08/23/df06b84a-041b-11ec-a266-7c7fe02fa374_story.html.   Accessed December 12, 2021. 

[6] Beckett, Lois. “Capitol attack: more than 60 Proud Boys used encrypted channel to plan, indictment says.” The Guardian, March 20, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/20/four-proud-boys-leaders-indicted-capitol-riot-donald-trump

[7] “Capitol Hill Siege.” Program on Extremism. George Washington University. Accessed August 20, 2021. https://extremism.gwu.edu/Capitol-Hill-Cases.

[8] “Proud Boys members must face January 6 charges, US judge rules.” Al Jazeera, December 28, 2021.  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/28/proud-boys-members-must-face-january-6-charges-us-judge-rules

[9] Lukpat, Alyssa. “Proud Boys Member Pleads Guilty and Will Cooperate in Jan. 6 Riot Inquiry.” The New York Times, December 22, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/22/us/capitol-riot-matthew-greene-guilty.html