Although the Proud Boys likely reached the height of their infamy when several of their members were charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot, the group had already developed a dark reputation as far-right instigators for years by that point.
As we had previously discussed, the group was established by disgraced Vice co-founder Gavin McInnes in 2016 and members are often identifiable by their tattoos and branded black and yellow Fred Perry polo shirts.
They often frame themselves as protesters against political correctness and perceived attacks on masculinity in the United States and Canada. However, their reputation for using violent means to achieve what Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair described as racist, homophobic, and misogynistic ends led the nation to officially consider them a terrorist group.
And in light of recent news, it seems that this wasn't a classification the group was able to sustain.