DC Police Arrest Proud Boys Leader for Burning Black Lives Banner During December March
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 12: Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys (L) and Joe Biggs (R) gather outside of Harry’s bar during a protest on December 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Thousands of protesters who refuse to accept that President-elect Joe Biden won the election are rallying ahead of the electoral college vote to make Trump’s 306-to-232 loss official. Photo credit: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images.
Enrique Tarrio, chairman of the extremist hate group the Proud Boys, was arrested in Washington, D.C. by Metropolitan Police for destruction of property — and was then hit with additional charges after he was found in possession of illegal, high-capacity firearms magazines.
According to the New York Times, the 36-year-old Tarrio was taken into custody based on incidents during the group’s chaotic march through Washington last month. In video taken of that event, at least two Black Lives Matter banners were stolen from nearby churches and burned in the streets while surrounded by a mob of Proud Boys. The march later devolved into a violent scrum and resulted in four people being stabbed in the melee.
The Times noted that Tarrio later freely admitted in a news interview that he and his group were responsible for stealing and destroying one church’s banner.
The local police said at the time that it would investigate the church attacks as potential hate crimes.
Mr. Tarrio then said on social media and in an interview with The Washington Post that he had burned the Black Lives Matter flag from the Asbury United Methodist Church, one of the oldest Black churches in Washington, and that he would plead guilty to destruction of property if he were faced with a criminal charge.
“Let me make this simple,” he said. “I did it.”
Tarrio’s arrest comes just two days before a Trump-promoted demonstration in Washington, D.C. to support his anti-democratic attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The hate group’s leader had promoted the event and promised on social media that the Proud Boys would “turn out in record numbers on Jan 6th” in support of Trump.
