Seditious conspiracy charges against Proud Boys brings a “welcomed chilling effect”

ISD Senior Research Manager Katherine Keneally spoke to USA Today about the conviction of the Proud Boys’ Henry “Enrique” Tarrio and three other co-defendents this week for seditious conspiracy charges relating to the January 6 insurrection. While the group has continued functioning without Tarrio in some degrees, Katherine believes it has had a “welcomed chilling effect” on activity, “at least for now.”

Throughout 2022 and leading into this year, autonomous Proud Boys chapters have actively participated in anti-LGBTQ protests around the US. “I don’t think that the Proud Boys will be behaving any differently between yesterday and tomorrow,” she said. “The Proud Boys, despite these individuals being in prison, have been engaging in protests across the United States over the last year − they have been functioning on their own without them (Enrique Tarrio, the ‘national chairman’ of the domestic extremist group).”

When asked about if the group will be able to move forward, Katherine shared that the over 40 prosecutions against Proud Boys for their activity on Jan. 6 seems to have had “a welcome chilling effect […] at least for now.”

“Even though that may not be stopping the Proud Boys from engaging in some of their other activities, it does have a real impact in curbing domestic extremism,” she said.