Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the far-right group Proud Boys, was arrested on Monday in Washington on suspicion of burning the Black Lives Matter flag in December. Police authorities have stated that Enrique is facing charges of destruction of property.
Local media reports suggest that he has admitted to torching a black church’s flag during a rally. Meanwhile, the incumbent president Trump has urged his supporters to gather in Washington for another rally. On the other hand, the US Congress is all set to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election on Wednesday.
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The Proud Boys’ Enrique took a social media app and called his group a notorious gang of extraordinary gentlemen. He further added that Proud Boys will turn out in great numbers to protest his arrest on January 6. Police officials said in a statement that Enrique was stopped by the officers shortly after he entered the state. Besides, the local media reported that at the time of his arrest, the accused had two illegal devices, including a tool that allows the guns to hold additional bullets.
Additionally, the destruction of property charges relates to a pro-Trump rally in Washington in December. Even though the demonstrations ended largely peaceful, there were reports of confrontations as the counter-protests broke out. According to the police department, four churches were vandalized by the protesters and in response, officers arrest more than a dozen people.
Earlier, another black church that was vandalized by the members of the far-right group, sued Enrique and his organization for the destruction of the property. Additionally, The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church tearing down a BLM flag and climbing over a fence. Besides, the leader of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Kristen Clarke, stated that black churches and other institutions have a long history of being attacked by White supremacists. Last month, police officials also said that they had been considering a potential charge of hate crime.
