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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 7 Juni 2022

Proud Boys charged with seditious conspiracy in Capitol riot

The former top leader of it difficult for outsiders to
the far-right Proud Boys eavesdrop.
extremist group and other Shortly before the riot, au-
members were charged thorities say Tarrio posted on
Monday with seditious social media that the group
conspiracy for what fed- planned to turn out in “re-
eral prosecutors say was cord numbers” on Jan. 6, but
a coordinated attack on would be “incognito” instead
the U.S. Capitol to stop of donning their traditional
Congress from certifying clothing colors of black and
President Joe Biden’s 2020 yellow.
electoral victory. Around the same time, an
unnamed person sent Tarrio a
The latest indictment against document that laid out plans
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the for occupying a few “crucial
former Proud Boys chair- buildings” in Washington
man, and four others linked on Jan. 6, including House
to the group comes as the and Senate office buildings
U.S. House committee in- around the Capitol, the in-
vestigating the Jan. 6 riot pre- dictment says. The nine-page
pares to begin public hear- document was entitled “1776
ings this week to lay out its Returns” and called for hav-
findings. ing as “many people as possi-
The indictment alleges that ble” to “show our politicians
the Proud Boys conspired already pleaded guilty to the An attorney for Tarrio said tifascist activists at rallies We the People are in charge,”
to forcibly oppose the law- rarely used Civil War-era his client “is going to have his and protests. Vice Media according to the indictment.
ful transfer of presidential charge that calls for up to 20 day in court.” co-founder Gavin McInnes, Nordean, of Auburn, Wash-
power. Tarrio and the others years in prison. The indict- “And we intend to vigorously who founded the Proud Boys ington, was a Proud Boys
— Ethan Nordean, Joseph ment alleges that the Oath represent him through that in 2016, sued the Southern chapter president and a mem-
Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Keepers and their associates process,” said Nayib Hassan. Poverty Law Center for la- ber of the group’s national
Dominic Pezzola — were prepared in the weeks leading Defense attorney Carmen beling it as a hate group. “Elders Council.” Biggs, of
previously charged with dif- up to Jan. 6 as if they were go- Hernendez, who represents The indictment alleges that Ormond Beach, Florida, is
ferent conspiracy counts. ing to war, discussing things Rehl, said her client is “as in- the Proud Boys held meet- a self-described Proud Boys
They are scheduled to stand like weapons and training. nocent of these charges as the ings and communicated over organizer. Rehl was president
trial in August in Washing- Tarrio, the group’s top leader, ones that had already been encrypted messages to plan of the Proud Boys chapter
ton, D.C.’s federal court. wasn’t in Washington, D.C., pending against him.” for the attack in the days in Philadelphia. Pezzola is
The seditious conspiracy when the riot erupted on Jan. “Seditious conspiracy re- leading up to Jan. 6. On the a Proud Boy member from
charges are among the most 6, 2021, but authorities say he quires the use of force, and day of the riot, authorities say Rochester, New York.
serious filed so far, but aren’t helped put into motion the he never used any force nor Proud Boys dismantled metal A New York man pleaded
the first of their kind. Eleven violence that day. thought about using any barricades set up to protect guilty in December to storm-
members or associates of the Police arrested Tarrio in force,” Hernandez said. the Capitol and mobilized, ing the U.S. Capitol with fel-
anti-government Oath Keep- Washington two days be- More than three dozen peo- directed and led members of low Proud Boys members.
ers militia group, including fore the riot and charged ple charged in the Capitol the crowd into the building. Matthew Greene was the
its founder and leader Stew- him with vandalizing a Black siege have been identified by Prosecutors have said the first Proud Boys member to
art Rhodes, were indicted in Lives Matter banner at a his- federal authorities as leaders, Proud Boys arranged for publicly plead guilty to con-
January on seditious conspir- toric Black church during a members or associates of the members to communicate spiring with other members
acy charges in a serious esca- protest in December 2020. Proud Boys, whose members using specific frequencies to stop Congress from cer-
lation in the largest investi- Tarrio was released from jail describe it as a politically in- on Baofeng radios. The Chi- tifying the Electoral College
gation in the Justice Depart- on Jan. 14 after serving his correct men’s club for “West- nese-made devices can be vote. Greene agreed to coop-
ment’s history. five-month sentence for that ern chauvinists.” programmed for use on hun- erate with authorities investi-
Three Oath Keepers have case. They have brawled with an- dreds of frequencies, making gating the attack.

High court won’t hear appeal over McCloskeys’ law licenses

The U.S. Supreme Court injustice protesters out- gust primary, said he wasn’t end the probation. Patricia McCloskey waved
on Monday declined to side their St. Louis man- surprised by the high court’s Last month, the state’s high a semi-automatic pistol. No
hear an appeal from Mark sion in 2020. decision since it takes up rel- court denied the McClosk- shots were fired.
and Patricia McCloskey, atively few cases. eys’ request to provide free The pair received national at-
the husband-and-wife at- Mark McCloskey, who is “I was a little disappointed legal service to the conser- tention, including from then-
torneys whose law licenses seeking the Republican nom- because I thought that the vative activist group Project President Donald Trump,
were placed on probation ination for one of Missouri’s concept of a lawyer be- Veritas to meet the pro bono and spoke via video at the
for pointing guns at racial U.S. Senate seats in the Au- ing sanctioned for doing no requirement. The organi- 2020 Republican National
more than just defending zation is known for hidden Convention.
himself and exercising his camera stings that have em- They pleaded guilty to mis-
Second Amendment rights barrassed news outlets, labor demeanors for the gun-wav-
would be an issue that the organizations and Democrat- ing incident and were fined.
Supreme Court might find ic politicians. Republican Gov. Mike Par-
significant,” McCloskey said. Mark McCloskey has said he sons pardoned them in Au-
The Missouri Supreme and his wife felt threatened gust.
Court in February placed the in June 2020 when demon-
couple’s licenses on proba- strators walked onto their
tion for one year, allowing private street during global
them to continue to practice protests that followed the
law. They must also provide death of George Floyd in
100 hours of free legal ser- Minneapolis. Mark McClos-
vice. The appeal to the U.S. key emerged from his home
Supreme Court sought to with an AR-15-style rifle, and