Front Burner

The Proud Boys: A brief history

Members of the Proud Boys have been linked to the Capitol attack, and Canada may designate the group as terrorists. We take a look at who they are, how they started and what they became.
Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, stands during a protest on December 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. along with hundreds of protesters who refuse to accept that President-elect Joe Biden won the election. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

In the wake of last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Proud Boys —  a group founded by Canadian Gavin McInnes — has been under intense pressure. The FBI is arresting some of its members. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has called for the them to be designated a terrorist group, and the federal government is considering it. Today, how the Proud Boys started, and where they ended up, with Jared Holt — a visiting researcher at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab who studies domestic extremism.