Advertisement

New York officials investigating ‘Proud Boys’ mob attack, no probe announced of police inaction

Members of the white nationalist group were not arrested as they brutally beat several protesters late Friday.

Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes in June 2017
Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes in June 2017. CREDIT: Andrew Lichtenstein/ Corbis via Getty Images

New York state and city officials promised to launch an immediate investigation into the attacks on Friday by the Proud Boys, a far-right hate group with ties to neo-Nazis.

They did not say however their probe will look into inaction by New York City police, who failed to arrest members of the group as they brutally beat multiple men and called them by homophobic and anti-immigrant slurs.

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood (D) said on Saturday that she was “disturbed and disgusted” by the attack by the “so-called ‘Proud Boys’.”

Advertisement

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) also denounced the attacks and demanded immediate prosecutions.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blassio (D) said his police department is “fully investigating’ the attacks and asked for the public’s help in providing video and information about the incident.

New York City Public Advocate Tish James (D) urged the District Attorney to pursue hate crimes charges against the “neo-fascist, white supremacist Proud Boys group” so that the city does “not become the next Charlottesville.”

The New York Police Department has not yet explained why three protesters were arrested for taking a backpack yet those Proud Boys involved in the attacks were permitted to leave without arrest — though several officers were present. But it did release a statement saying it is “currently reviewing additional video and other evidence” to determine if other arrests are warranted.