Securing the ‘Wild’ - How the Proud Boys Secure an Event
Image: Watchman in tactical gear stands stationed in a parking garage. Pink Knight Press.
At the self-titled “Wild Protest MAGA March” on January 6th, CA State Capitol protesters mirrored D.C. demanding the 2020 Presidential Election not be certified by Congress (Read Here).
Careful observation of the event reveals a network of watchers, drivers, communications, and enforcers. They wear camouflage, Proud Boys and Three Percenter paraphernalia (symbol guide here), and varying degrees of tactical gear like bulletproof plate carriers. The Proud Boys are a fascist group known for threats, harassment, and political violence; this is how they secure an event.
Clip 1: [A] “They know we know.” [B] “We can throw eggs at ‘em… [unintelligible]”
Clip 2: [A] “Camera guy’s interesting occasionally,” [B] “He always wears a Latinos for Trump, uh-” [A] “hat?’ [B] “hat, yeah” [A] “he’s got a backwards hat on…”
The video shows two men stationed at the corner of 10th and L, standing in the corner of a parking garage. They discuss strategy, but more than that they talk about people. Who they’ve seen before, who’s here today, what they’re wearing, where they are- and whether they are loyal to the cause.
Watchers are in key points surrounding the park wearing camouflage but no identifying political gear beyond their signature yellow. On the roof of the Capitol Garage (10th & L), two men stand with a red Ram truck. They appear as average onlookers, but the license plate of the truck has been removed and every few minutes, one of the two makes a brief statement into what appears to be a two-way radio. A few floors down, two similarly dressed men (see above), one wearing the signature yellow of the group, serve as closer watchers on the corner. After obtaining that footage, our reporter was for the second time pursued and subsequently surrounded by men sporting the Proud Boys logo.
Image: A flag-adorned truck drives past covered in “Metal Mulisha” drink decals, which use Nazi imagery. Pink Knight Press.
In addition to these watchers at key points, multiple squads of cars circle Capitol Park, blasting music and speaking over loudspeakers. The most notable of these squads had a truck plastered with “Metal Mulisha” decals, an energy drink company criticized for its use of Nazi imagery.
To our knowledge, these watchers and car squads are mostly intelligence-gathering. On the ground and within the protest, there are “enforcers”, who identify and push out anyone not known to be loyal to the cause. When they noticed our reporter and began surrounding them, they said they didn’t want any trouble, to which they replied they’d had already found some. For the video, see the main article on J6 at the CA State Capitol Here.
Proud Boys establish a perimeter and keep it heavily observed and maintained. Any person who manages to puncture it is targeted and intimidated by explicit threats of violence until they leave or are physically attacked… and that is how the Proud Boys secure an event.
