Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, has been sentenced to more than five months in prison for burning a Black Lives Matter banner.
Miami-based Tarrio (born Henry Tarrio Jr) was found guilty of “one count of destruction of property and one count of attempted possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device”.
The destruction of the property refers to the stealing and burning of a Black Lives Matter banner on December 12, 2020.
Tarrio and other Proud Boy members used lighter fluid to set the banner alight. It had been on display at Ashbury United Methodist Church — a historically black church — in the nation’s capital.
In a photograph posted to Parler (a social media site popular amongst right-wing extremists), Tarrio could be seen “holding an unlit lighter”.
When speaking with US publication, the Washington Post, Tarrio confirmed that he did participate “in the burning of the banner”.
That’s all ?it’s disgusting
— ✌🏼rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) August 23, 2021
During his hearing on Monday, the senior pastor of the church, Rev Ianther Mills, expressed the fear that she and her congregation felt at Tarrio’s actions.
After likening the situation to “visions of slavery, the Ku Klux Klan, lynchings and their public spectacle, cross-burnings,” Mills went on to say:
“This was deliberate and planned … Who carries a bottle of lighter fluid to a peaceful demonstration?”
The attempted possession charge refers to Tarrio bringing “two high-capacity firearm magazines” into Washington DC in the days leading up to the infamous US Capitol Building riot.
Police pulled over Tarrio on January 4 with a warrant for vandalism.
However, they found the aforementioned magazines in his vehicle and arrested him under the city’s “strict gun control laws”.
In the District of Columbia (where Washington DC is located), “firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition” are banned.
According to Tarrio, the magazines did not belong to him and were actually “purchased by a customer”.
Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the proud boys is going to jail. The right keeps on losing. Cheers!#ProudBoys pic.twitter.com/Thk2uf5Rqb
— Kyle Perkins (@FarLeftKyle) August 23, 2021
When handing down Tarrio’s sentence, Judge Harold Cushenberry criticised him for his hate-fuelled actions.
“He could not have cared less about the laws of the District of Columbia … He cared about himself and self-promotion … His claim of ‘innocent mistake’ is not credible at all.”
“Mr Tarrio has clearly—intentionally and proudly—crossed the line from peaceful protest and assembly to dangerous and potentially violent criminal conduct.”
Tarrio is required to report for his sentence on September 6 (US Labor Day).
Founded in 2016, the Proud Boys are a far-right group that consider themselves “Western chauvinists”.
According to them, their mission is to spread “an ‘anti-political correctness’ and ‘anti-white guilt’ agenda”. They have frequently “appeared alongside other hate groups” at racist gatherings.
