Far-right Proud Boys violently assault protesters in late-night rampage; Fox News declares “Antifa attacks again — swords and vandalism”

Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes: He’s the one who drew the sword.

By David Futrelle

Last night the Proud Boys went looking for a fight. After a speech by the group’s founder Gavin McInnes at the Metropolitan Republican Club in Manhattan, members of the group — a gang of pro-Trump goons who seem to get into fights at every event they attend — were caught on video violently attacking several people who had come out to protest their event, beating and kicking them.

The Proud Boys took obvious pleasure in the assaults, with one of the attackers yelling “do you feel brave now, f**got” at his victim, according to one eyewitness. Another Proud Boy was heard on the group’s own livestream boasting that

I had one of their fucking heads and I was just fucking smashing it [on] the pavement. I ripped that motherfucker’s mask off and kicked him right in the head! … He’s a fucking foreigner!

At one point, McInnes literally drew a sword that he had brought with him to the speech. The group, evidently quite pleased with how the night had gone, posed for a group photo afterwards. None of the Proud Boys involved in the violence were arrested.

Here’s how Fox News covered the events:

Antifa attacks again — swords and vandalism at New York GOP office @FoxNewsNight pic.twitter.com/N4Q5MWKuK0

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 13, 2018

If you watch the video, you can see McInnes draw his sword. It’s not quite clear how Fox News was able to mistake McInnes — an easily recognizable figure who was the headliner at the event in question — for an antifa protester.

In case any Fox News reporters need to be reminded what he looks like, here’s McInnes doing an interview in which he offers his thoughts on how awesome he thinks violence is.

"It was a really fun night, and overall I cannot recommend violence enough. It is a really effective way to solve problems.” -Gavin McInnes, founder of the Proud Boys (Feb. 2017). #ViolentMob pic.twitter.com/OTxW3Vwx1O

— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) October 13, 2018

I guess my question here is whether or not this is deliberate disinformation from Fox, or whether everyone working there is so caught up in the Trump/GOP/Fox News reality distortion field that they can look at footage of Gavin fucking McInnes pulling out a sword and see antifa?

At this point, actual footage of right-wingers beating up people — followed by footage of these right-wingers happily bragging about beating up people — isn’t enough to convince many in the MAGA swamp that, well, right-wingers are beating up people. These people are essentially gaslighting themselves.

Thugs wearing MAGA hats attacked some gay guys outside a club in New York. The news claims it's the Proud Boys, but I seriously doubt that. It's likely Soros-funded actors hired to attack innocent bystanders, to try to make conservatives look bad.https://t.co/kQdn5pNlGB

— Annie Partridge (@annie7589) October 13, 2018

Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Here’s more footage of what happened last night, from the assaults to the exalting over the assaults afterwards — complete with chants of “I like beer!” in honor of the newly installed Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Last night, Gavin McInnes and his gang of Proud Boy thugs instigated violence against protestors. Severe injuries, but none reported dead, yet. pic.twitter.com/JpWV2UbM2D

— Nathan Bernard (@nathanTbernard) October 13, 2018

Here's video of the Proud Boy mob assault from tonight up close pic.twitter.com/frW09dcDHn

— Adam (@leftkist) October 13, 2018

Here's a portion of the livestream uploaded by a Proud Boy (since deleted) which shows a member bragging about kicking "a foreigner" in the head. full video here: https://t.co/PBJoW8hCGi pic.twitter.com/qlZipdRMsd

— Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) October 13, 2018

Here is a violence free version of the events that happened in NYC tonight for those who don't want to see the actual beatings. The celebration and the laughing while the cops stand by and watch is equal parts infuriating and frustrating. pic.twitter.com/TeyF5gKQzq

— Official Alt-Left (@Kherman112) October 13, 2018

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