8.2 March of the Proud Boys

8.2 March of the Proud Boys

¶While tens of thousands of President Trump’s supporters attended the rally at the Ellipse, the Proud Boys had other plans. On the morning of January 6th, they gathered at the Washington Monument. At 10:30 a.m., the Proud Boys started their march down the National Mall towards the U.S. Capitol. In total, there were approximately 200–300 Proud Boys, as well as their associates, in the group.⁵⁴⁵⁴ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Nick Quested, (Apr. 5, 2022), pp. 123–25.

¶Enrique Tarrio, the chairman of the Proud Boys, was not in attendance. As explained in Chapter 6, Tarrio had been arrested two days earlier and ordered to leave Washington. However, Tarrio continued to monitor events remotely from Baltimore, communicating with his men throughout the day. With Tarrio offsite, the Proud Boys were led by three other senior members of the group: Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl.

¶Ethan Nordean (a.k.a. “Rufio Panman”) was a member of the Proud Boys’ Elders chapter and president of his local chapter in Seattle, Washington.⁵⁵⁵⁵ First Superseding Indictment at 3, United States v. Nordean et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 10, 2021), ECF No. 26; “Auburn, Washington Member of Proud Boys Charged with Obstructing an Official Proceeding, Other Charges Related to the Jan. 6 Riots,” Department of Justice, (Feb. 3, 2021), available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/auburn-washington-member-proud-boys-charged-obstructing-official-proceeding-other.Show full note Nordean was regarded as the leader for January 6th after Tarrio was arrested.⁵⁶⁵⁶ Third Superseding Indictment at 16, United States v. Nordean et al., No. 21-cr-175 (TJK) (D.D.C. June 6, 2022), ECF No. 380, available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1510971/download; Statement of Offense at 4, United States v. Finley, No. 1:21-cr-526 (D.D.C. March 8, 2022), available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1492396/download. In the days leading up to January 6th, Nordean made ominous comments on social media. In conversations with his fellow Proud Boys, he argued that the Presidential election was tainted by fraud and violence was a necessary remedy. For example, on January 4th, Nordean posted a video on social media with the title: “Let them remember the day they decided to make war with us.”⁵⁷⁵⁷ “Auburn, Washington Member of Proud Boys Charged with Obstructing an Official Proceeding, Other Charges Related to the Jan. 6 Riots,” Department of Justice, (Feb. 3, 2021), available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/auburn-washington-member-proud-boys-charged-obstructing-official-proceeding-other. In another social media post on January 5th, Nordean warned “we are coming for them.”⁵⁸⁵⁸ “Auburn, Washington Member of Proud Boys Charged with Obstructing an Official Proceeding, Other Charges Related to the Jan. 6 Riots,” Department of Justice, (Feb. 3, 2021), available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/auburn-washington-member-proud-boys-charged-obstructing-official-proceeding-other. He added a telling line: “You’ve chosen your side, black and yellow teamed with red, white and blue against everyone else.”⁵⁹⁵⁹ “Auburn, Washington Member of Proud Boys Charged with Obstructing an Official Proceeding, Other Charges Related to the Jan. 6 Riots,” Department of Justice, (Feb. 3, 2021), available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/auburn-washington-member-proud-boys-charged-obstructing-official-proceeding-other. The “black and yellow” is a reference to the Proud Boys. And when Nordean wrote the “red, white and blue,” he likely meant the Trump supporters who would be in attendance for January 6th.

¶Joseph Biggs (a.k.a. “Sergeant Biggs”) was a senior Proud Boys member and served as an event “organizer” for the group.⁶⁰⁶⁰ Third Superseding Indictment at 16, United States v. Nordean et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. June 6, 2022), ECF No. 380, available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1510971/download. Biggs previously worked with Alex Jones and InfoWars.⁶¹⁶¹ See “War Room - 2019-AUG 09, Friday - Joe Biggs and Owen Shroyer Talk Internet Censorship and Democrat Party Terrorism,” Spreaker.com, (Aug. 9, 2019), available at https://www.spreaker.com/user/realalexjones/08-09-19-warroom; Alexandra Garrett, “Joe Biggs, Proud Boys Leader and Former Infowars Staffer, Arrested Over Capitol Riot,” Newsweek, (Jan. 20, 2021), available at https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biggs-proud-boys-leader-former-infowars-staffer-arrested-over-capitol-riot-1563181.Show full note In late December 2020, Biggs posted a message on Parler in which he explained that the Proud Boys “will not be attending DC in colors.”⁶²⁶² Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint at 4, United States v. Biggs, No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Jan. 19, 2021), available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/page/file/1357251/download. That is, unlike at previous events, the Proud Boys would not wear their branded, black and yellow clothing, but instead seek to be inconspicuous. Biggs continued:

We will be blending in as one of you. You won’t see us. You’ll even think we are you . . .We are going to smell like you, move like you, and look like you. The only thing we’ll do that’s us is think like us! Jan 6th is gonna be epic.⁶³⁶³ Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint at 4, United States v. Biggs, No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Jan. 19, 2021), available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/page/file/1357251/download.

¶Tarrio posted a similar message, saying the Proud Boys would go “incognito” on January 6th.⁶⁴⁶⁴ Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint at 4, United States v. Biggs, No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Jan. 19, 2021), available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/page/file/1357251/download. Consistent with this decision, Biggs was dressed in a plaid shirt, glasses, and dark hat as he led the march from the Washington Monument.⁶⁵⁶⁵ Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint at 4, United States v. Biggs, No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Jan. 19, 2021), available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/page/file/1357251/download. Other Proud Boys dressed in a similar fashion.

¶Zachary Rehl (a.k.a. “Captain Trump”) was president of the local Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Proud Boys chapter.⁶⁶⁶⁶ Statement of Offense at 4, United States v. Finley, No. 1:21-cr-526 (D.D.C. Apr. 6, 2022), ECF No. 38, available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1492396/download; First Superseding Indictment at 3, United States v. Nordean et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 10, 2021), ECF No. 26, available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1377586/download. Like his comrades, Rehl believed President Trump’s Big Lie about the 2020 Presidential election.⁶⁷⁶⁷ First Superseding Indictment at 3, United States v. Nordean et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 10, 2021), ECF No. 26, available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1377586/download. He raised more than $5,500 in funds for January 6th. Like Nordean, Biggs and others, Rehl was dressed “incognito” as he helped lead the group from the Washington Monument.⁶⁸⁶⁸ First Superseding Indictment at 8–9, 12, United States v. Nordean et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 10, 2021), ECF No. 26, available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1377586/download.

¶Protestors, including a group of Proud Boys, gather at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images

¶Shortly after 11:00 a.m., the Proud Boys arrived at the west side of the Capitol, near a reflecting pool. From there, they marched to the east front of the Capitol. Surveillance footage shows the Proud Boys passing Garfield Circle on the southwest corner of the Capitol at 11:15 a.m.⁶⁹⁶⁹ U.S. Capitol Police Camera U.S. Capitol Police Camera 9004. They walked north towards the Peace Circle next, and surveillance cameras captured them on video there at approximately 11:21 a.m.⁷⁰⁷⁰ U.S. Capitol Police Camera 3187. There was just one USCP officer standing guard at the Peace Circle fence at the time.⁷¹⁷¹ Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (Nick Quested Production), Video file Iphone_Nick_DC_20210106_IMG_1081_1_1.mov, at 0:14; Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Nick Quested, (Apr. 5, 2022), pp. 139–40.

¶As the Proud Boys paraded around the Capitol grounds, Nick Quested, a documentary filmmaker who spent time with the group, recalled them taunting USCP officers. One Proud Boy told the officers to “[r]emember your oath,” “[c]hoose a side,” and “[b]e on the right side of history.”⁷²⁷² Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Nick Quested, (Apr. 5, 2022), p. 138. By 11:41 a.m., the Proud Boys made their way around to the east side of the Capitol, crossing along Constitution Avenue.⁷³⁷³ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Nick Quested, (Apr. 5, 2022), pp. 130–31. While on the east front, they posed for pictures with members of their Arizona delegation, who were clearly identifiable by their orange caps.⁷⁴⁷⁴ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Nick Quested, (Apr. 5, 2022), p. 134; Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (Nick Quested Production), Video file M_DC_20210106_Sony_GC280A_0486.mov. They then walked back across the north side of the Capitol towards the National Mall, where they stopped to eat at food trucks.⁷⁵⁷⁵ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Nick Quested, (Apr. 5, 2022), pp. 132, 143. The Proud Boys stayed by the food trucks until they returned to the Peace Circle at approximately 12:49 p.m.⁷⁶⁷⁶ U.S. Capitol Police Camera 946.