A historic Black church in Washington, D.C., now has the rights to the identify of the Proud Boys group after a court docket order.
On Monday (Feb. 3), a federal choose dominated that the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church now owns the trademark rights of the Proud Boys white nationalist group. Decide Tanya M. Jones Bosier made the two-page ruling to satisfy a $2.8 million judgment towards the Proud Boys by one other choose to cowl damages made to the historic Washington, D.C., church in December 2020 by members of the far-right group in what was deemed “a extremely orchestrated assault” concentrating on Black church buildings after a rally by President Donald Trump.
The ruling states that along with the church proudly owning the trademark, the Proud Boys now must get consent from them to make use of it. Additionally, any proceeds from merchandise with the trademark, together with hats and t-shirts which are offered by the group, may be seized by the AME church at will. “The Church has a protracted historical past of standing up for justice and towards all types of hate,” the church’s chief, Rev. William H. Lamar IV, instructed CNN in an interview. “We’re decided to carry the Proud Boys accountable and we are going to proceed this struggle.”
In a protracted assertion on X, previously Twitter, Proud Boys chief Enrique Tarrio blasted the judgment by stating the church “have to be subjected to an intensive audit, and its non-profit standing revoked instantly” earlier than including, “This church has engaged in a marketing campaign of harassment and falsehoods. We had been subjected to unjust incarceration and mistreatment by the hands of our personal authorities, leaving us no recourse. Their actions are a betrayal of justice, harking back to Judas’ treachery. I maintain in contempt any motions, judgments, and orders issued towards me.” Tarrio, who confessed to vandalizing the church in 2021, was lately freed by President Trump whereas serving a 22-year sentence for his position within the Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol. He would later add one other submit on X, claiming: “The Proud Boys are actually altering our identify to the … ‘African Methodist Episcopal Boys.’”
Reverend Lamar was unfazed. “They should know that it’s not OK to do that to Metropolitan, and it’s not OK to do that to anybody,” Lamar mentioned to NBC Washington 4. “They have to pay what the choose mentioned, and now we personal what is effective to them, and we are going to gather.”
