Public Wise Statement on Seditious Conspiracy Charges for Proud Boys Role in January 6
The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers did not act alone. They were following direct orders from the former president who told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” on the stage of a presidential debate.
MEDIA CONTACT: Addie Bullock, abullock@bluestate.co
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Public Wise, an organization committed to fighting for a multiracial democracy that reflects the will and protects the rights of the people and the founder of the Insurrection Index, released the following statement on four members of the Proud Boys leadership found guilty of seditious conspiracy in the January 6 insurrection:
“This is a critical step towards delivering the American people the justice and accountability they deserve after a deadly attack on the Capitol. This case has established that the January 6 insurrection was not spontaneous and is a result of coordination and leadership from the Proud Boys, an alt-right, neo-fascist group with ties to Trump. Charges of seditious conspiracy are incredibly rare, and the decision by multiple juries to name what happened on January 6 as sedition makes it clear that this was a deadly, coordinated attack intended to overthrow the 2020 election.
“We applaud the work of prosecutors across the country who have convicted 500 defendants for their role in January 6 but there are hundreds of individuals currently serving in the very building they tried to destroy who planned, promoted and attended the insurrection who must answer for their role in attempting to silence millions of Americans. The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers did not act alone. They were following direct orders from the former president who told the Proud Boys to ‘stand back and stand by’ on the stage of a presidential debate. January 6 was just one element of a decades-long campaign to restrict our freedoms and turn back time, and not demanding justice for all participants of this violent insurrection further emboldens their efforts to restrict our fundamental freedoms, from voting to making our own decisions about our bodies,” said Christina Baal-Owens , executive director of Public Wise and the Insurrection Index.
About Public Wise
Persistent and unyielding in our commitment to a just multiracial democracy, Public Wise fights to secure a government that reflects the will and protects the rights of the people. We accomplish this through education, research, organizing, funding, and partnerships that support more voting and more equitable representation.
###