The Proud Boys Marched Through D.C. During Trump’s Inauguration

The far-right group, dressed in black and yellow and touting pro-Trump paraphernalia, reportedly marched down Pennsylvania Avenue chanting "Free our boys" and "We're back!" Fantastic!

By Audra Heinrichs  |  January 20, 2025 | 4:03pm
Photo: Getty Images LatestPolitics
The Proud Boys Marched Through D.C. During Trump’s Inauguration

It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the U.S. and the Proud Boys have returned just in time for Donald Trump’s Inauguration. And you thought the most upsetting thing you’d see today was Fetterman’s shorts…

Dressed in black and yellow and touting pro-Trump paraphernalia, the far-right terrorist group (at least in Canada and New Zealand) reportedly marched down Pennsylvania Avenue chanting “Free our boys” and “We’re back!” according to the Wall Street Journal. When asked where they were headed, one member replied, “We’re just heading for a stroll.” Fantastic.

Photos of their “stroll” show a “Congratulations President Trump” banner and suggest there was a scuffle between counter-protestors, inducing with one person who was yielding a rainbow fan.

 

A large group of Proud Boys are marching in DC right now, per video on x by @scootercaster.com . Cannot stress how significant this is — DC has been perceived as a no go zone for the far-right since J6, particularly for the Proud Boys x.com/scootercaste…

— Tess Owen (@tessowen.bsky.social) 2025-01-20T17:33:22.212Z

According to multiple reporters on the far-right extremist beat, their presence today marks a significant return since the events of January 6, 2021. The group was responsible for multiple altercations with anti-fascist activists throughout the 2020 election, which led Trump to infamously instruct them to “stand back and stand by” during his first debate against Biden that same year. Trump’s comments also went on to play a pivotal role in the insurrection. Ultimately, their former leader, Enrique Tarrio, received a 22-year sentence, as did dozens of other members and associates.

“I am not a political zealot,” Tarrio told the judge during his sentencing. “Inflicting harm or changing the results of the election was not my goal. Please show me mercy.” Then, he added: “I ask you that you not take my 40s from me.” Tarrio has since asked Trump for a pardon.

During his second remarks in the overflow hall, Trump referred to the criminal defendants implicated in the insurrection as the “J6 hostages” and suggested he was going to imminently pardon them.

“I was going to talk about the J6 hostages,” Trump told the crowd, detailing how he wanted to talk about January 6 in his official Inauguration speech, but that Melania and JD Vance suggested he didn’t. “But you’ll be happy because, you know, it’s action not words that count.” The New York Times has since reported that a growing number of Trump supporters are gathering outside a D.C. jail where a dozen of the Jan. 6’ers are being held.

Several reports indicate that Trump’s pardons will be “sweeping” for defendants of the attacks despite overwhelming dissent amongst Americans.

If only that were enough these days…

 
Join the discussion...