How the Proud Boys are 'quietly' working to bring their 'menacing politics' to the local level


Far-right nationalists the Proud Boys have begun bringing "their brand of menacing politics to the local level," as members have "increasingly appeared in recent months at town council gatherings, school board presentations and health department question-and-answer sessions across the country," reports The New York Times.
In November, members showed up outside a school board building in Wisconsin to protest mask requirements; some were spotted at a school board meeting in North Carolina just days later, right before a vote on a mask mandate. Others even attended a gathering in Illinois, "where parents were trying to remove a nonbinary author's graphic novel from public school libraries," writes the Times.
For some time, Proud Boys were known more for their national profile; but since the disaster that was Jan. 6, the group has moved away from the national spotlight and "quietly shifted" its attention toward expanding local chapters, according to members and researchers.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The plan of attack if you want to make change is to get involved at the local level," member Jeremy Bertino told the Times.
"We've seen these groups adopt new tactics in the wake of Jan. 6, which have enabled them to regroup and reorganize themselves," added Jared Holt, who researches domestic extremist groups. "One of the most successful tactics they've used is decentralizing."
And as local chapters have flourished, members have "increased their radical tendencies," Holt explained, considering participants feel more comfortable sharing problematic beliefs in smaller groups. Read more at The New York Times.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
What to know before turning to AI for financial advice
the explainer It can help you crunch the numbers — but it might also pocket your data
-
Book reviews: 'The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction—and a Search for Relief' and 'Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run'
Feature The search for a headache cure and revisiting Springsteen's 'Born to Run' album on its 50th anniversary
-
Keith McNally' 6 favorite books that have ambitious characters
Feature The London-born restaurateur recommends works by Leo Tolstoy, John le Carré, and more
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20
Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peace
Speed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest war
Speed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'
-
Russia tries Ukraine land grab before Trump summit
Speed Read The incursion may be part of Putin's efforts to boost his bargaining position
-
US, China extend trade war truce for 90 days
Speed Read The triple-digit tariff threat is postponed for another three months
-
Europe counters Putin ahead of Trump summit
Speed Read President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week for Ukraine peace talks
-
Israeli security cabinet OKs Gaza City takeover
Speed Read Netanyahu approved a proposal for Israeli Defense Forces to take over the largest population center in the Gaza Strip