Saturday 20th March 2021
After storming the Capitol
Charges against right-wing extremists "Proud Boys"
Four right-wing men are charged with conspiracy, obstruction of security forces and destruction of government property in connection with the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. You are now being charged.
Two and a half months after supporters of the then US President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, four leading members of the right-wing radical group "Proud Boys" have been charged. The four men are charged with conspiracy, obstruction of security forces and destruction of government property in connection with the attack on January 6, according to the indictment spread by the US media on Friday.
The accused from different states are three leaders of the respective local Proud Boys branch and a self-appointed organizer of the group's events. Other "Proud Boys" members have previously been charged. The indictment states that the four leading "Proud Boys" between the ages of 30 and 37 tried to prevent Congress from certifying the results of last November's presidential election.
They would also have encouraged others to take part in the protest in Washington against Trump's defeat, which later led to the attack on the Capitol. They had raised donations for travel expenses. According to the indictment, they also obtained "paramilitary equipment" such as protective vests and radios. During the planning, communication was carried out via encrypted channels.
Five people, including a police officer, were killed in the storm on the Capitol after a Trump rally. Trump is accused of inciting the mob. The leader of the "Proud Boys", Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, had been ordered by a court to leave Washington before the rally. The police arrested him after arriving in the US capital because of an arrest warrant for property damage at an earlier demonstration against him by Trump supporters. He must stay away from Washington until his next court hearing on June 8th.
During the election campaign, Trump triggered enthusiasm in the right-wing spectrum with statements about the "Proud Boys". In a TV debate with the ultimately victorious challenger Joe Biden, Trump refused to clearly condemn right-wing groups. At that time he said: "Proud Boys – hold back and be ready."
.