Proud Boys lose trademark to Black church they vandalized in 2020

The ownership of the Proud Boys’ trademark now belongs to a Black church in Washington, D.C., that was vandalized by the far-right group after a December 2020 rally supporting U.S. President Donald Trump.

A judge granted the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church complete control over the group’s name and symbols, as well as the option to monetize them as they see fit, in a judgement on Monday.

Judge Tanya M. Jones Bosier of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia also granted the Metropolitan AME Church a lien on the trademark and the power to block the Proud Boys from using the trademark or selling licensed goods, like T-shirts, without the church’s approval to do so.

Two Black Lives Matter banners were pulled down from Metropolitan AME and another historically Black church and then burned during clashes between pro-Trump supporters and counter-demonstrators in December 2020. The destruction took place after weekend rallies by thousands of people in support of Trump’s baseless claims that he won a second term, which led to dozens of arrests, several stabbings and injuries to police officers.

Metropolitan AME sued the Proud Boys and their leaders, alleging they violated D.C. and federal law by trespassing and destroying religious property in a bias-related conspiracy.

The church was previously awarded a US$2.8 million (nearly C$4,000,657.25) default judgement against the Proud Boys in 2023 but received control of the groups’ trademarked name when it failed to pay up.

The church can now seize any money the Proud Boys make via “any sale, transfer, disposition or license” of the group’s name and logo, according to the order.

Enrique Tarrio, former leader of the Proud Boys, shared his thoughts on the new judgement against the group on X, writing, “The ProudBoys are now changing our name to the…. ‘African Methodist Episcopal Boys.’”

In another lengthy statement, Tarrio accused the church of engaging “in a campaign of harassment and falsehoods, evidenced by their every filed motion.”

“Furthermore, the presiding judge has denied due process to myself and the other defendants, preventing us from presenting a proper defense. We were subjected to unjust incarceration and mistreatment at the hands of our own government, leaving us no recourse,” Tarrio continued. “This organization, masquerading as a church, must be subjected to a thorough audit, and its non-profit status revoked immediately.”

Trending Now

Tarrio said that Jones Bosier’s conduct in the case “necessitates impeachment and investigation,” adding that the actions are “a betrayal of justice.”

“I hold in contempt any motions, judgments, and orders issued against me. Though the corrupt judicial system unjustly confined me two weeks ago, my faith in Jesus Christ has set me free,” Tarrio added.

Tarrio publicly acknowledged setting fire to one banner during the 2020 weekend rallies. Prosecutors said the banner Tarrio had was stolen from Asbury United Methodist Church.

In July 2021, he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanour criminal charges of property destruction and attempted possession of a high-capacity magazine. He was sentenced to more than five months in jail.

Tarrio and other members of the Proud Boys were separately convicted of seditious conspiracy charges as part of a plot to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a bid to keep Trump in power after the Republicans lost the 2020 presidential election. He received a 22-year sentence in May 2023, the longest among more than 1,100 Capitol riot cases.

He was released from prison on Jan. 21 following Trump’s mass pardon of rioters who stormed the Capitol four years ago.

Following his release, Tarrio told reporters that he had rejoined the Proud Boys group. “We’ve made the decision four years ago not to tell the media what our structure is, but I’d suggest that the media should stop calling me ‘ex-Proud Boy,’” he told reporters on Jan. 22.

—With files from The Associated Press