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Members of the Proud Boys during a rally in Portland, Oregon, on September 26. Photo: JIM URQUHART / Reuters
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, asked them to “be prepared.” It was like gasoline on fire for the heavily armed far-right Proud Boys organization. Who are they really?
Proud Boys is banned on platforms like Twitter and Facebook, but last week they were discussed in the presidential debate on American television.
When asked directly if he wants to distance himself from white nationalists, Donald Trump found no “yes.”
Since then, they have received the world’s attention.
Trump’s friendly gang with the Fred Perry logo on its chest and machine guns on its arm has received a new “boost” after the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden on September 29.
Proud Boys shows up at rallies against police brutality to support the police, against supporters of Black Lives Matter.
After Trump became infected with the crown and was admitted to Walter Reed Hospital, several Trump supporters have appeared outside. Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes will be among them, according to The Guardian newspaper.
Yellow smoke rises at the start of a Proud Boys rally in Portland. Photo: MARANIE R. STAAB / AFP
During the debate that followed, Donald Trump was asked if he distanced himself from white nationalists. Fox News host Chris Wallace gave Trump more opportunities, but Trump responded evasively each time.
– Then do it. Say it, Wallace challenged.
– What do you want to call them? Give me a name, Trump replied.
“White nationalists,” Wallace replied.
– Proud guys, Joe Biden chimed in.
“Proud guys, stand back and be prepared,” Trump said.
The group is estimated to have between 5 and 6,000 members in the United States. The photos were taken in Portland on September 26.
The group decided to take Trump’s word for it.
– They were excited by that hug, says Cathrine Thorleifsson to VG.
She is a researcher at the Center for Extremism Research at the University of Oslo.
Thorleifsson believes the Proud Boys interpreted what Trump said as a green light and a marching order. They are now actively using Trump’s statement, posting “memes” and images with the slogan “stand by.”
– They have already committed acts of violence, they will do so before and after the elections.
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There are also others who noted Trump’s response, including former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.
But who exactly are the Proud Boys? And what do they want
Proud Boys was founded in 2016 by Gavin McInnes, founder of the Canadian-American magazine Vice. Later, Florida Republican Enrique Tarrio assumed command.
The organization is a self-proclaimed defender of men in the West. Is Trump-friendly and ultra-nationalist, ultra hostile and violent, says Thorleifsson.
They use polarization, protest, and the pandemic to promote a violent agenda.
– The main enemy is feminism and the liberal elite, corrupted by progressive forces, do not apologize and be so politically correct, says the researcher of extremism.
The Proud Boys is estimated to now have around 5,000 to 6,000 members.
In August of last year, another group called the Patriot Prayer joined forces with the Proud Boys to fight members of the anti-fascist movement Antifa.
In 2018, both Twitter and Facebook were banned. Now they operate through the Telegram communication platform.
– The Proud Boys act as a grassroots force for Trump. It started out as a “frat” -like group, but has grown into one of the leading street military forces in the United States, Spencer Sunshine tells VG.
Sunshine spends all her time monitoring the darkest corners of American society. Research fascism, right-wing extremism, and anti-Semitism in America today.
Proud Boys is made up primarily of young and middle-aged white men. To become a member, you must go through a series of rituals.
The group believes it is on the side of the police, against the protesters of the Black Life Matters movement.
To get to the “first level,” you must list the marks on the cereal as they hit it. To get to the fourth level, you have to go outside and be violent, says Spencer Sunshine.
Jews and other people with multicultural backgrounds are allowed to participate, but very few of them. The leader has a Latin American background, which gives them a kind of alibi that distances them from white power groups.
Proud Boys is considered a hate organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors right-wing extremist groups.
Thorleifsson says the organization stands out from other far-right groups in that it is less ideological and rather promotes a violent agenda.
A mantra they repeat and repeat is, roughly translated: “I am a Western chauvinist who refuses to apologize for creating a modern world.”
Because members often wear Fred Perry’s black and yellow picket, the clothing manufacturer stopped selling the Proud Boys t-shirt this week.
In Oregon, several Proud Boys met with firearms.
Spencer Sunshine believes that the Oregon Police have chosen the side of the Proud Boys and thereby give them room to use violence:
– Proud Boys have a relationship with the police there that allows them to do what they want. They do not give the same space to left organizations, he says.
Members of the Proud Boys clash with counter-protesters in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in August.
But is there a link between Donald Trump and the Proud Boys?
Yes, says Spencer Sunshine. And the link is Trump’s former adviser and friend, Roger Stone. Stone must be well connected with the ranks of the Proud Boys. It is said that he invited members to his home and used them as private security guards during parties.
Trump’s controversial statements during the presidential debate provoked strong reactions in the United States. The following day, Trump reiterated the statement about white nationalists, saying that he did not know what the “Proud Boys” are and that they should “step back and let the police do their job.”
Researcher Spencer Sunshine interprets this as a typical round dance that Trump does with fans.
– Trump always makes accusations and then retracts. This means that his followers have received the “message,” says Sunshine.
On November 3, the United States will choose who will be the next president. There, the Proud Boys will play an active role, Spencer says.
– They can alter the mood in polling stations and scare voters. If Trump loses and does not accept the election, they will do something. Everyone expects them to “make a move.”
