New Zealand designates Proud Boys as a terrorist organization

A protester carries a Proud Boys banner in front of the state Capitol in Salem, Ore., in September 2020. New Zealand’s government has declared that American far-right groups the Proud Boys and the Base are terrorist organizations. In a 29-page explanation of the Proud Boys designation published Thursday, New Zealand authorities said the group’s involvement in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, amounted to an act of terrorism. New Zealand authorities said that, before the Capitol attack, the Proud Boys had a history of using street rallies and social media to intimidate opponents and recruit young men through demonstrations of violence. Asked whether the Proud Boys weren’t better known for protest actions rather than extreme violence, New Zealand Police Minister Chris Hipkins said: “Well, violent protests attempting to overthrow the government, clearly there is evidence of that.” In making their case against the Base, New Zealand authorities said a key goal of the group was to “train a cadre of extremists capable of accelerationist violence.” The statement said founder Rinaldo Nazzaro “has repetitively counseled members online about violence, the acquisition of weapons, and actions to accelerate the collapse of the U.S. government and survive the consequent period of chaos and violence.”