New Report Shows Dramatic Growth In “Proud Boys” Hate Group

The leader of the Proud Boys Enrique Tarrio is facing a conspiracy charge for his involvement in the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Tarrio is at the helm of the white supremacist group as it undergoes dramatic growth.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “The Year in Hate & Extremism 2021” report, the group had 43 chapters in 2020 and grew to 72 in 2021.

The report states, “The rise in Proud Boys chapters is especially remarkable considering that at least 40 members of the group have been charged in relation to their role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Their growth suggests the country has become alarmingly fertile ground for their brand of authoritarian politics.”

The FBI posted news of Tarrio’s indictment on its Twitter account earlier this week.

In its indictment, the agency said, “Tarrio and his co-defendants, all of whom were leaders or members of the Ministry of Self Defense, conspired to corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding, the certification of the Electoral College vote. On Jan. 6, the defendants directed, mobilized, and led members of the crowd onto the Capitol grounds and into the Capitol, leading to dismantling of metal barricades, destruction of property, and assaults on law enforcement.”

The increasingly violent wave of white supremacy includes more than the usual suspects. As the country witnessed last year during the assault on the Capitol, there were more “mainstream” white Americans involved than many would have expected. The SPLC identifies a merging of middle America with groups once considered outside the circle of rational association based on the participation of highly visible media personalities and politicians.

In its report, SPLC adds, “Fear of changes to the social status quo, in which white people hold a privileged place, has helped fuel the mainstreaming of the “great replacement” myth – a conspiracy in which white people are being systematically replaced by non-white immigrants at the hands of leftists, Democrats, “multiculturalists,” Jewish people and others. The myth is central to the white nationalist movement, which in 2021 included 98 hate groups … the myth has spread beyond terrorist manifestos and into American living rooms.”

Last summer FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the growth of domestic terrorism. Both leaders described it as a threat to the nation. This latest report from the SPLC shares explanations for the government’s concerns.