A judge gives a black church the trademark for Proud Boys after the group vandalized the church.

In a significant turn of events, the Proud Boys have lost the rights to their own name. A judge in Washington, D.C. has ruled that the trademarked name of the far-right group now belongs to the Black church that they vandalized four years ago. This decision follows a previous ruling in 2023 where the church was awarded a $2.8 million judgment to cover damages from a violent attack by the Proud Boys during a pro-Trump rally in December 2020.

Former Proud Boys leader, Enrique Tarrio, and his followers were responsible for the attack on the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. William H. Lamar IV, the pastor of the church, spoke out against the group's actions and expressed their determination to hold them accountable for their hate-fueled violence.

So what does this ruling mean for the Proud Boys? According to Judge Tanya M. Jones Bosier's ruling, the group is no longer allowed to use their own name or any of their traditional symbols. In fact, they must now seek permission from the church to use any of their branding. The New York Times also reported that the ruling prohibits the Proud Boys from selling any merchandise with their name or symbols without the church's consent. This means that the church can now take legal action if the group continues to use their name or logos without permission.

In addition, the church has the right to seize any profits made by the Proud Boys from the sale of merchandise featuring their name or symbols. However, instead of accepting accountability for their actions, Tarrio has responded by calling for the church to lose its nonprofit status and for the judge to be impeached. He even went as far as to say that he holds any legal action against him in contempt.

It is worth noting that Tarrio claims to follow Jesus Christ, yet his actions and words do not align with his professed beliefs. He was previously serving a 22-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy, but was pardoned by former President Trump last month along with other Jan. 6 rioters.

Judge Neal E. Kravitz, who presided over the case, described the Proud Boys' attack on the Black church as "highly orchestrated" and filled with "hateful and overtly racist conduct." According to CNN, several members of the group jumped over the church's fence and immediately targeted a Black Lives Matter sign. The judge noted that they aggressively tore down the sign, stomped on it, and celebrated loudly.

This ruling serves as a powerful reminder that hate-fueled violence will not be tolerated, and those responsible will be held accountable for their actions. It also sends a clear message that the rights of marginalized communities will be protected and upheld in the eyes of the law. As former Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie G. Thompson stated, the pardon of these violent rioters is condemnable and undermines the justice system.

[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]