The old leader of the far-right Proud Boys group will be sentenced on Tuesday for what he did during the US Capitol riot.
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, who is 39 years old, has been found guilty of seditious conspiracy and other crimes.
Tarrio was not in Washington when the riot happened on January 6, 2021. He had been arrested and told to leave the city before the chaos started.
But instead, he observed from a hotel room in a nearby city called Baltimore.
After the US presidential election in November 2020, Tarrio and other members of the Proud Boys wrote several scary messages on the internet. They were giving a warning that there might be violence and chaos if Donald Trump stopped being the president.
In that month, Tarrio responded to a post by Joe Biden online, saying: “YOU should remember that the American people are fighting against YOU. ” Without Trump, there will be no peace. No mercy or leniency given.
The Proud Boys and other groups gathered in Washington DC on 12 December 2020 to show their support for Mr. They fought against people who oppose fascism and joined protesters against them, and one member of the Proud Boys group got stabbed. On that day, Tarrio set fire to a Black Lives Matter banner that he took from a church where African-Americans go.
When he tried to go back to the main city in the beginning of January, he was taken into custody for burning a banner. He was discovered with a large ammunition magazine that is against the law in the city. He was let out of jail for a temporary time and told to go away from Washington.
On January 6th, during the riot, he wrote on the internet: “Once I’m done watching this, I’ll talk about my arrest. ” Right now, I am having a good time watching the show. Do what needs to be done. He told the people in the riot not to go away.
The prosecutors want the person to go to prison for 33 years.
Seditious conspiracy is a law that is rarely used, which means it is not often enforced. This law says that it is illegal to use force to stop or make it difficult for any law of the United States to be followed. In May, Tarrio was found guilty of obstructing and plotting against others, causing unrest and damaging government property.
During the trial of Tarrio and four other Proud Boys, prosecutors presented a lot of text messages, social media posts, and videos as proof of a planned scheme to hinder the certification of the election outcome.
The lawyers for the defendants said that the group was not well-organized, mostly peaceful, and there was no plan to attack the building.
Who are the Proud Boys?
The group was started in New York City in 2016 by Gavin McInnes, who used to work at Vice but then became a right-wing commentator and podcaster.
The Proud Boys say they are a group of men who like to drink together or a “pro-Western brotherhood organization”.
But they were deeply involved in extreme right-wing politics from the beginning, and gained a reputation for frequently getting into fights with left-wing activists known as antifa in various cities in the US.
Their popularity increased after they were talked about in a conversation about political violence during a debate for the president in September 2020.
“Proud Boys, step back and be ready,” Mr. Trump said at that moment. “I’ll explain to you, someone needs to take action against antifa and the left because this is not just a problem caused by right-wing individuals. ”
Who else has been punished by the court?
Last week, four more Proud Boys were given punishments for what they did during the Capitol riot.
The ex-US Marines, Dominic Pezzola and Zachary Rehl, received prison sentences of 10 and 15 years, in that order.
Joe Biggs, a former soldier, who led a group called Proud Boys to the US Capitol, has been given a prison sentence of 17 years. Another leader of Proud Boys named Ethan Nordean, from Washington state, has been given a prison sentence of 18 years.
The sentences given to the Capitol rioters are some of the longest.
On Friday, Pezzola showed regret for what he did during his court session. After Pezzola was given his prison sentence and the judge left, he raised his hand and yelled, “Trump won. ”
Nordean told the court: “I’m sorry for not being a good leader that day. ”
“He said sorry to anyone I have hurt either directly or indirectly. ” He didn’t say much when he was given his punishment.
Some people who took part in the Capitol riot are no longer showing regret for their actions. This shows that the discussion and arguments about what happened that day have become highly political. Trump said that if he becomes president in 2024, he will forgive or excuse many or all of the people causing chaos.
The hearing on Tuesday is the final one for important leaders from the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers militias who are being sentenced.
Over 1,100 people have been arrested for their involvement in the Capitol riot. Out of these, 630 people have admitted their guilt, and more than 110 people have been convicted. Around 500 people have been given either prison terms or have to stay at home as punishment.
The rioters have been accused of different things, like going into places they weren’t supposed to, damaging government things, hurting people, and planning together. Approximately 200 people admitted they are guilty of serious crimes.
The investigation is still going on – the FBI is still trying to find 14 people who were recorded on video attacking police officers or members of the media during the riot.