It raises the question: who are the Proud Boys? In recent months the group has become synonymous with violent opposition to the Black Lives Matter and Antifa movements (Greig, 2021). Though the invaders were made up of a bizarre patchwork of far-right groups, conspiracy theorists, and lone wolves, a significant proportion of those pictured at the scene affiliated themselves with the Proud Boys. When all was said and done, five people, including a police officer, were dead. On January 6, 2021, a ragtag band of Trump’s extremist supporters shocked the world when they stormed the US Capitol Building, leaving a trail of destruction and violence in their wake. Thus, it created a permissive atmosphere for such groups to operate in (Matanock & Staniland, 2020), and extremists have been increasingly emboldened (Crowell & O’Regan, 2019). His administration also pressured law enforcement agencies to downplay the threat posed by these extremist groups. However, Trump’s rhetoric has lent legitimacy to their agendas. Prior to his term, white supremacists, white nationalists, and other far-right extremist groups operated mainly on the political margins and could expect condemnation from most mainstream politicians. The group, which is the new face of far-right extremism, one that recruits through shared precarity and male grievances promotes and engages in political violence.ĭuring his presidential term, Donald Trump showed more sympathy for far right and extremist groups than any US president in recent memory. The group describes themselves as “Western chauvinists,” by which they mean “men who refuse to apologise for creating the modern world”. The Proud Boys is a far-right, anti-immigrant, all-male group who have been known to use violence against left-wing opponents.

European Center for Populism Studies (ECPS). “The Proud Boys: Chauvinist poster child of far-right extremism.” ECPS Organisation Profiles.

Proud boys