2020 has surely been a historical year for the United States. While the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the United States, Black Lives Matter protests fighting for justice and equality also spread like wildfire throughout the country. An emergence of far-right groups to counter these calls for systemic change also emerged, namely the Proud Boys. The groups' leader Enrique Tarrio is now facing charges for defacing a BLM flag after stealing it from the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, DC.
According to reports, Tarrio was sued by the Black church for allegedly trespassing on their property on Dec. 12th during a Pro-Trump, right-wing rally in D.C and removing the Black Lives Matter flag before burning it. A total of four churches were reported to have been targeted.
Attorneys for Metropolitan AME Church said in a press release statement they, “suffered from the defendants’ coordinated acts of violence when Proud Boys members climbed over a fence surrounding the church, came on to church property, tore down and destroyed a large Black Lives Matter sign the church was proudly displaying in what constituted clear acts of trespass, theft, and destruction of property.”
The church is "seeking compensatory damages and "declaratory relief stating that the Defendants have committed crimes that were motivated by bias under the D.C. Bias-Related Crime Act."
Tarrio was arrested and charged for doing something similar at another church in D.C. recently. "At the time of his arrest, he was found to be in possession of two high capacity firearm magazines. He was additionally charged with possession of high capacity feeding device," said D.C. police.