The far-right group, The Proud Boys, has reportedly lost control of their name and branding after a court ruling on Monday. A Washington judge stripped the group of its trademark and banned them from selling any merchandise featuring their name or signature symbols without the approval of a Black church they previously vandalized. The decision comes after the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in D.C. won a $2.8 million judgment against the group last year.
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Following a night of violent altercations following a pro-Trump rally in December 2020, Enrique Tarrio, a former leader of the Proud Boys, and a number of his supporters stormed the historic Black church, tore down its Black Lives Matter banner, and set it on fire, according to the New York Times. The church later filed a lawsuit, calling the attack an act of terror designed to intimidate them for supporting racial justice. The court agreed, labeling the group’s actions as “openly racist,” and the Proud Boys reportedly failed to pay the judgment.
In response, the church sought their trademark and seized control of their revenue streams. Any Proud Boys chapter attempting to sell merchandise could see their profits legally paid to the church. Tarrio has responded to the decision, accused the judge of betraying justice, and asked for the church’s nonprofit status removed.
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He also made it clear he had zero intention of respecting the ruling, saying he holds “contempt” for any legal decisions made against him.