The Capitol riots were made up of a wide swath of conservative and far-right true believers. As more and more names of those involved have come out, we've seen Donald Trump die-hards, QAnon zealots, small business conservatives, and anti-government militiamen.
The people storming the Capitol ranged from zip-tie carrying coup larpers looking to take hostages to realtors who flew to Washington on a private jet to argue that the world had somehow done them wrong. So, it should come as no surprise that leaders of the chauvinist movement Proud Boys were in attendance.
An organizer for the group named Joe Biggs was recently arrested in Florida over his involvement in the failed coup. FBI officials claim he was one of the first people to force his way into the Capitol building. Biggs was shown inside the building in several videos and photos of the riot, but he maintains that he did not force his way into the building.
“Biggs informed the interviewing agent that the doors of the Capitol were wide open when he made entry into the building,” the FBI's complaint said. “Biggs denied having any knowledge of any pre-planning of storming the Capitol, and had no idea who planned it.”
The Proud Boys have been a fixture at political protests and far-right rallies for years. Founded by Vice Magazine founder Gavin McInnes, the group believes that traditional masculinity and "Western" values are under attack. The group's current chairman Enrique Tarrio was arrested ahead of the Capitol riot on charges related to the destruction of a local church's Black Lives Matter sign.
