Members of the far-right Proud Boys group started an October fight in New York City that has led to 13 arrests, surveillance footage released by The New York Times on Sunday appears to show.
The video shows one member of the "male chauvinist" group running towards anti-fascist counter protesters, who the Proud Boys had initially blamed for the altercation.
The incident occurred in Manhattan's Upper East Side after the group's founder, Gavin McInnes, gave a speech.
Ten Proud Boys members have been arrested and charged with riot and attempted assault, the Times reported. At least three "leftist protesters" have also been charged, according to BuzzFeed News.
McInnes previously blamed the violence on anti-fascist protesters, claiming that they only engaged with demonstrators after one threw a water bottle, according to BuzzFeed News.
The video footage shows a Proud Boys member, identified by the Times as 26-year-old Pennsylvania resident Maxwell Hare, running at protesters before swinging punches and being joined by other group members, as the demonstrators fight back.
As Hare starts running at the anti-fascists, one throws a water bottle.
4/6 The brand new footage shows what followed: two Proud Boys went east on 82nd Street, approaching protesters who were perhaps 100 feet away from Park Avenue. By the time the plastic bottle was thrown, one of those two Proud Boys was within a few feet and charging. pic.twitter.com/oHq2MamC4m
— Colin Moynihan (@ColinRMoynihan) December 23, 2018
Footage captured by freelance videographer Sandi Bachom showed someone yelling "Proud Boys! You ready? Proud Boys!" before the attack began.
Photojournalist Shay Horse, who photographed the scene, said that police had "stood and watched the attack unfold. They only stepped in after everything was over."
It’s worth noting that the NYPD stood and watched the attack unfold. They only stepped in after everything was over so they did less than even their bare minimum. So the only reason this happened was because the police let a hate group march and attack people at their leisure. https://t.co/vVEqPx8ImH
— Shay Horse (@HuntedHorse) December 24, 2018
Police were criticized for promptly arresting protesters involved in the fighting but not detaining Proud Boys members until days later.
Comments by the group's leader also generated concern.
After the attack, McInnes said "I have a lot of support in the NYPD and I very much appreciate that."
On Friday at approx 8:23 pm there was an altercation which was widely distributed via social media on 82nd between Lexington to Park, here’s another angle of the video. We need your help identifying these individuals please contact @NYPDTips 800-577-TIPSpic.twitter.com/ndII6m0aLc
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) October 15, 2018
McInnes announced last month that he was stepping away from the group.
"As of today, November 21st, 2018, I am officially dissociating myself from the Proud Boys, in all capacities, forever," McInnes said in a video detailing his decision to step away. "We are not an extremist group and we do not have ties with white nationalists. We disavow all forms of alt-right, white supremacy, white nationalism etc. We are a multi-racial club with blacks, Jews, gays, Asians etc."
Earlier in November, the FBI designated the group "an extremist group with ties to white nationalism."
The Southern Poverty Law Center has noted that although the group's members regularly disavow discrimination "Proud Boys and leaders regularly spout white nationalist memes and maintain affiliations with known extremists."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Daniel Moritz-Rabson is a breaking news reporter for Newsweek based in New York. Before joining Newsweek Daniel interned at PBS NewsHour ... Read more
