With his macho appearance and brash style, he has been a clear supporter of former US President Donald Trump. In recent years, Enrique Tarrio has become a familiar face among many Americans, through his participation in Proud Boys and several demonstrations in the United States. Now Enrique Tarrio must serve 22 years in prison. He has been found guilty of “rebellious conspiracy” and other offences. No one else has received as severe a punishment as Tarrio. 22 years is by far the most severe sentence so far. Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio embraces another member during a Proud Boys demonstration in Portland. Photo: AFP It is by far the most severe sentence against any of those charged for their participation on 6 January 2021. Tarrio has been the leader of the group Proud Boys, which is referred to as an extremist, fascist and violent organisation. This is Proud Boys A neo-fascist, far-right group. In the US, the group is known for using violence and for fighting activists on the left. Only men are allowed to be members. Canadian intelligence agencies describe the group as a terrorist organization. – Organized and directed Tarrio was not even in Washington, DC when Congress was stormed on January 6, 2021. A day that is referred to as a “national trauma” in the United States, when Trump supporters entered Congress to stop the elected officials from to approve the election results and transfer power to the new president. The Proud Boys are convinced that they did nothing wrong during the storming of Congress in the United States. Photo: AFP At least five people lost their lives. The prosecution believes that Tarrio organized and directed members of the far-right group that participated in the storming. They also believe that the group was very important for the Trump supporters to be able to storm Congress. – Unorganized drinking club The case against Tarrio is being led by the Ministry of Justice, which is also asking for 33 years in prison for one of Tarrio’s co-accused. Three other Proud Boys leaders have been jailed for 15, 17 and 18 years respectively. The Proud Boys defenders have denied that there was any conspiracy or organized plan to attack Congress. Donald Trump in court in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Fulton County Sheriff’s Office / Reuters In court, the defenders have described the neo-fascist group as a “disorganized drinking club” and said that the members participated “spontaneously” in the attack. The defenders have also pointed out that it was Donald Trump’s incorrect claims about electoral fraud that triggered the chaos on 6 January. So has special investigator Jack Smith in the Ministry of Justice. He has brought charges against Donald Trump for his attempt to oppose the election results in 2020. – Trump’s foot soldiers In his first debate against Joe Biden in 2016, when Donald Trump was asked about his views on the Proud Boys, he replied: “Stand back and stand by”. So: stand back and be prepared. Prosecutors say the Proud Boys saw themselves as Donald Trump’s foot soldiers and were ready to go to war to keep their leader in power. – They failed. They are not heroes: They are criminals, prosecutors said during the trial. After the debate against Biden, Trump received criticism for his failure to condemn the group. He responded to the criticism by claiming that he “doesn’t know who the Proud Boys are”. Donald Trump and Joe Biden during one of their election debates in 2020. Photo: AP This is the most extensive legal process the US Department of Justice has ever carried out, according to The Guardian newspaper. Over 1,000 people have been indicted for their role during the storming of Congress. Over 600 of them have either been found guilty or have entered into agreements with the prosecution.
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Proud Boys leader sentenced to 22 years in prison for storming Congress – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
