Proud Boys Leader Pleads Guilty to Burning Black Lives Matter Banner Stolen From D.C. Church

The Proud Boys leader has been down bad these days. You love to see it.

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Image for article titled Proud Boys Leader Pleads Guilty to Burning Black Lives Matter Banner Stolen From D.C. Church
Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)

Before the Capitol riot even took place, groups like the Proud Boys were already making it known they were prepared to act a fool on Jan. 6. The leader of the group pleaded guilty to burning a Black Lives Matter banner during a violent demonstration in Washington D.C., last December.

Earlier this year, The Root reported that 37-year-old Enrique Tarrio was arrested on Jan. 3 in relation to the incident. Tarrio was among those who participated in a demonstration that resulted in property damage, people getting stabbed, and a banner being ripped from the Asbury United Methodist Church and set ablaze. The violence was so bad that D.C. churches requested special protection ahead of the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6.

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NBC News reports Tarrio pleaded guilty to charges of destruction of property and attempting to possess a high-capacity gun magazine on Monday before D.C. Superior Court Judge Harold Cushenberry. Both charges are misdemeanors which carry punishments of up to six months in jail. Tarrio will be sentenced next month.

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Asbury United Methodist Church is one of the oldest Black churches in the area, and Tarrio said if he knew the banner was stolen from the church he wouldn’t have set it on fire. “If I would have known that the banner came from a church, it wouldn’t have been burned. I had nothing to do with the stealing of the banner,” Tarrio said while appearing in court via video.

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Sure, Jan.

I find it hard to believe that stealing a banner from a church is where this dude draws the line. You can’t be mad at a sign that says “Black Lives Matter,” but also act like you have any respect for a historically Black institution. Granted, cognitive dissonance seems to be the Proud Boys whole thing, so who knows.

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Tarrio’s charges are unrelated to the Capitol riot, which has seen nearly 40 members of the Proud Boys face charges for their participation during the event. The only reason Tarrio wasn’t at the Capitol riot was because he was arrested and banned from the D.C. as a result of the banner.

If Tarrio’s name sounds familiar, well, that’s because dude stays making news for the wrong reasons. It’s been revealed he was a whole snitch, an informant for the FBI, and he was so broke he wound up selling Black Lives Matter shirts online. Turns out the leader of the Proud Boys is an incompetent, morally dubious dumbass. Who could’ve guessed that?