The Proud Boys, an alt-right group that originated in 2016, have been responsible for organizing several rallies in Portland, Oregon.
These rallies have been billed as exercises of political freedom and freedom of speech, but have often quickly devolved into glorified street brawls.
A recent rally in Portland took a different turn when the group, along with similar organizations such as Patriot's Prayer, were quickly escorted away from their meeting place by police rather than staying to foment violence.
It was revealed during this gathering that the goal of these rallies wasn't to exercise their freedom to gather, but to make anti-fascist counter-protesters look bad and to waste as many city resources as possible.
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was caught on video talking about the success of their intended purpose:
"We've wasted all their f***ing resources to make this rally. We want them to waste $2 million and we'll do it again in two months."
You can view the full video below.
*Content Warning: the following video contains NSFW language*
When asked in an interview how he would respond to those in the city that resented the Proud Boys' wasting of taxpayer resources, Tarrio stated that Portland was just as much his city as his home in Miami and that he had just as much right to waste the city's resources as those who live there, despite not paying Oregon state or Portland local taxes.
"This is just as [much] my city as my home back in Miami. This is the United States of America and I'm not going to apologize."
Tarrio could also be heard discussing the planning process for the event, and called the rally "a pure optics operation."
"So the night before last we sat there and tried to figure out what is the safest route for us not to go to jail."
"This is a pure optics operation, alright?"
"If your guys, and I said this yesterday in the meeting, who are looking for fourth degrees [a rank awarded for assaulting someone], this is not the event to do it."
In a press release the group stated:
"The gathering was never about bringing carnage or violence to the city of Portland, it was about financially crippling the progressive hotbed until they take action against Antifa."
It has incensed many to find out that wasting taxpayer resources and law enforcement time was the Proud Boys' goal.
Several people commented on Tarrio's assertion that Portland was just as much his city as Miami.
Some folks wondered if wasting resources was really their main goal, or if it became the goal to save face after they saw just how many counter-protesters showed up.
Many people know the Proud Boys for what they really are, an organization created to promote White supremacy and fascism, but this news that they are intentionally wasting taxpayer resources may just be the tipping point for some of the folks that previously supported or were neutral towards them.
The book Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist, available here, tells the story of one person who turned their back on White supremacy.
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