When the Metropolitan Republican Club in Manhattan hosted the anti-Semitic founder of the violent alt-right group known as the “Proud Boys” in October, a lot of us were surprised that a monied, mainstream group would ally with street thugs.
A new report from the Clark County Sheriff’s office in Washington State adds to the concern. The report says that according to the FBI, the Proud Boys are “an extremist group with ties to White Nationalism.” The report continues, “The FBI has warned local law enforcement that the Proud Boys are actively recruiting in the Pacific Northwest and that some in the group have contributed to the escalation of violence at political rallies held on college campuses.”
While the Proud Boys have been widely reported on for their violent attacks on college campuses, this is the first evidence that the FBI takes them seriously as a threat. The FBI would not comment on the report, however, the reference in the Clark County Sheriff’s memo describes warnings received from the FBI by local law enforcement about the group. The memo can be read here.
The Proud Boys call for mass deportations and the barring of Muslim immigrants from the United States.
