The Truth About the Proud Boys vs Antifa
Western male fraternity organization the Proud Boys were involved in a physical confrontation with their main opposition group Antifa in Manhattan, New York last Friday night after a speaking engagement by their founder Gavin McInnes at the New York Metropolitan Republican Club.
The event gained the attention of the local Antifa after the time and place was publicized on Twitter by Christopher Mathias of the Huffington Post. On the Thursday evening before the event the venue was vandalized with windows smashed and the anarchist symbol sprayed on the door.
Never to be intimidated Gavin McInnes’ speech went ahead as scheduled and Proud Boys attended in numbers. There were were around 80 Antifa protestors holding signs condemning racists and Nazis. Earlier that night three people were arrested for assaulting and robbing citizen journalist Paul Miller of his backpack who was filming outside the event.
Attendees were kept inside by police for 30 minutes after the event until they believed the Antifa protestors had dispersed. They were escorted out in two groups, Proud Boys and non-Proud Boys. Proud Boys are easily identifiable as most wear the organization’s official apparel the Fred Perry polo to public events.
The Proud Boys were followed by masked Antifa protestors who noticed a few Proud Boys walking a short distance from the pack and pounced on an opportunity to attack them. After trying to steal one of the Boys’ MAGA hats the rest of them with the knowledge that many Antifa attackers carry weapons sought to immediately defend themselves. Other Proud Boys seeing what was occurring went in to defend their brothers. The whole confrontation was over in seconds and the Proud Boys laid off once the physical threat had passed and then the police arrived.
It was suspected by many Proud Boys that the Antifa protestors present sought a physical confrontation so they could feed the media a narrative that “peaceful anti-fascist” protestors where assaulted by “far-right racist fascist misogynists”. Sure enough that’s the line the mainstream media ran with headlines calling the Proud Boys “skinheads” and “white nationalists” who were involved in a “brutal beating” and “hate crime”. Photojournalist Sandi Bachom alleged to Newsweek that “If the cops hadn’t pulled up, they probably would have just kept going and killed them”.
The Proud Boys explicit reject white nationalism, the alt-right and racism as their membership is open to men of all races as you only must be a “western chauvinist” and have a penis to join. Much was also made that one of the Proud Boys told one of the Antifa attackers ‘Are you brave now, faggot?!’ but the Proud Boys also reject that they are an anti-gay organization.
In the aftermath New York’s Democratic politicians have condemned the Republicans for inviting Gavin McInnes and the Proud Boys to New York and implied they were only invited to provoke a confrontation. They have also used the opportunity to once again virtue signal their opposition to racism and extremism.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo went as far as to blame President Trump for the incident “So the president is on the stump today saying ‘the Democrats are a mob, the Democrats will bring chaos, they are leftists,’ and then coincidentally, the Republican Party in the State of New York invites a group known for violence and for hate speech”. Cuomo even used the Proud Boys in one of his campaign videos.
NY Republicans invited the Proud Boys, a violent male chauvinist hate group, to rally at their Manhattan HQ. Every Republican official must condemn the injection of chauvinism, racism and sexism into this campaign. pic.twitter.com/s8KWe2fvHL
— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) October 16, 2018
New York City Councilman Rory Lancman told NY1 that “It is revolting to see white supremacists commit a hate crime on the streets of New York City — in full view of the NYPD — and for none of them to be arrested or prosecuted”. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was also upset none of the Proud Boys were arrested and said “The NYPD is fully investigating last night’s attack involving the Proud Boys. If you know anything, the NYPD wants your help,”adding that “Hate is never welcome in NYC and we will punish those responsible — whether they threw punches or incited violence — to the fullest extent of the law”.
The chief of detectives for the New York City Police Department Dermot Shea said they were trying to identify nine Proud Boys members and three black-clad counter-protesters. He also rejected McInnes claim that “I have a lot of support in the NYPD, and I very much appreciate that, the boys in blue” tweeting on the NYPD account that “We are a diverse org dedicated to keeping safe all 8.5M NY’ers & millions of visitors”.
False. This individual does not speak for @NYPDnews. We are a diverse org dedicated to keeping safe all 8.5M NY’ers & millions of visitors. Violence & disorder is unacceptable & will not be tolerated in NYC. We are aggressively investigating all leads, and will make arrests.
— NYPD DCPI (@NYPDDCPI) October 15, 2018
Antifa affiliated groups from around the world have used the confrontation to further their narrative that Trump’s authoritarian America protects the rich and the police and that “far-right/fascist supporters are given free reign to assault anyone who challenges that power”.
They also claimed that because McInnes’ speech involved the mock reenactment of the assassination of Japanese socialist Inejiro Asanuma by ultranationalist Otoya Yamaguchi it was proof of the Proud Boys’ incitements to violence. When Antifa tried to attack McInnes when he was entering his car after the event he pulled out a plastic toy sword from the event and said “All hail Otoya Yamaguchi!”. They also threw a bottle of urine at his car.
The Proud Boys themselves have no regrets about their actions on Friday night stating on their website “We will never hesitate to defend ourselves and innocent people from a violent mob. Fuck around and find out”. Gavin McInnes himself said that all publicity surrounding the Antifa confrontation has been good for membership “I’d like to thank the mayor, the governor, and the media for creating 1000 new Proud Boys this weekend. Thanks guys, can’t even keep up with the emails”.
To summarize the events of Friday night as usual Antifa were the aggressors but it is always those on the right, in this case the Proud Boys who are condemned as being the perpetrators of violence for daring to defend themselves. This narrative is fed by the left to a compliant and unquestioning mainstream media and jumped upon by far left politicians. But in the age of the internet and the camera-phone the truth has been able to be told easily and the fake news exposed.
You can see Gavin McInnes in person when he tours Australia this November. Tickets are on sale at gavinlive.com.au