Proud Boys Members Continue Anti-LGBTQIA+ Crusade
On Thursday, December 08, Victorian police arrested a member of the alt-right group calling themselves the Proud Boys who were protesting outside the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda, Australia, reports Star Observer.
This protest is not the first foray into anti-LGBTQIA+ demonstrations that the Proud Boys have participated in and the arrest reflects a boldness in their actions.
THE GROUP IS SUSPECTED TO BE NEO-NAZI AND PROTEST FREQUENTLY
The five Proud Boys members who showed up outside of the Victorian Pride Centre were protesting a now-cancelled youth event called Glitter Nova being hosted by Stonnington Youth Services, reports Star Observer.
In light of Proud Boys threats, over one hundred LGBTQIA+ people and allies showed up to form a protective ring around the centre. After being issued a move-on order and refusing, one of the five Proud Boys was arrested.
A Victoria Police spokesperson says, “Police attended the area to ensure community safety. A 34-year-old Mount Waverley man was arrested after he refused to follow a direction to move on at approximately 7 pm. The man was conveyed to the St Kilda Police Station for an interview and was released pending summons.”
THE RISE OF HIGHLY CENTRALISED SUPREMACY
The Proud Boys have long been associated with Neo-Nazism and have roots in alt-right ideologies. Their protests have become infamous online for being disruptive, intimidating and often targeting LGBTQIA+ events and spaces. In a report from SPLC, Proud Boys members are staging protests amid a campaign against LGBTQIA+ communities that began following the events of the January 6 insurrection in the US.
The events that have been targeted include drag queen story-times at local libraries, drag brunches at local businesses and Pride events during the month of June. The Proud Boys are only one branch of a larger supremacist movement that has seen the rise of white nationalism in Western countries. Groups such as Patriot Front, National Justice Party and Proud Boys reflect a change in focus for these alt-right groups which are steadily becoming highly organised and vocal.
The small group of men who protested the Victorian Pride Centre were dispelled by a tide of community allies and Victorian Police.
