In the era of President Donald Trump, repugnant ideologies and their adherents just keep coming out of the woodwork. One such collection of individuals — the members of the “Proud Boys” organization — descended on a street in New York City this week and attacked protesters in an incident that was captured by a number of people on film.
The incident unfolded after a talk from Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes, who like other members of his group, relies on a modernized, violent mockery of the Boy Scouts to feel secure, although somehow we’re the snowflakes here. He was commemorating the assassination via samurai sword of a prominent Japanese socialist in 1960, because somehow, a murder that took place over 50 years ago is something to be celebrated.
The talk had been preceded by vandalism including smashed windows and harsh anti-fascist graffiti at the Metropolitan Republican Club, where the event took place. Fox News, of course, focused on that aspect of the situation, not the Proud Boys who attacked a small group outside the event after it had concluded — because assault and violence are acceptable if they’re in the name of your personal perception of the greater good? That seems to be the theme here.
In the video below, watch as a mob of belligerent assailants reliant on physical violence to compensate for their glaring lack of direction in the world attack what seems to be a single individual and certainly isn’t much more.
I’m pretty sure screaming “you’re dead” and using homophobic slurs while you gang beat random people on the streets is a crime. Proud Boys get both protection from the police and the green light to commit violence at will. pic.twitter.com/s1dp3xtwga
— Official Alt-Left (@Kherman112) October 13, 2018
The organization at least in large part behind the violence describes itself via founder Gavin McInnes as a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists.” In that rosy view of the world, there’s no acknowledgement of the ongoing horrors of the modern world. Apparently — to them — we should be thankful to live in a world facing everything from the brink of climate collapse to the murder and violence wrought by terror groups around the world.
Hey, they get to live in the apartments their parents bought though, so everything in the whole world must be okay, right?
Other vantage points of assaults carried out on lone or small groups of apparent opponents to the Proud Boys ideology feature below.
Here’s video of the Proud Boy mob assault from tonight up close pic.twitter.com/frW09dcDHn
— Adam (@leftkist) October 13, 2018
Proud Boys in red #MAGA hats after leaving @GOP Republican Club event hosting Gavin McInnes, break out in violent brawl because a protester tried to take their MAGA hat they wear brutally kicked and punched pic.twitter.com/mqXDtvl9Kt
— Sandi Bachom (@sandibachom) October 13, 2018
Journalist Andrew Kimmel noted:
‘Tonight in NYC the Proud Boys called people they considered to be “antifa” faggots as they beat them up. Gavin McInnes brandished a sword. The police provided them with protection. Then Fox News created this bullshit story.’
Tonight in NYC the #ProudBoys called people they considered to be “antifa” faggots as they beat them up. Gavin McInnes brandished a sword. The police provided them with protection. Then @FoxNews created this bullshit story. pic.twitter.com/AJoU91uLEH
— Andrew Kimmel (@andrewkimmel) October 13, 2018
It’s ironic for the totally (not) well adjusted individuals associated with the Proud Boys organization to be so reliant on protests — in this case, violent assault driven “protests” — to get their point across. The right has gone after peaceful protesters on the “left” time and time again, painting people like football players who take a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and stick up for African Americans as traitors. Trump has gone so far that he’s repeatedly asserted that such individuals should be fired.
Meanwhile, these guys roam the streets, continuing on the tradition of Charlottesville, Virginia, where thousands of white nationalists including “Proud Boys” descended in an event that left one counterprotester dead and many others wounded.
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot
