The government of New Zealand has declared that the American far-right groups– The Proud Boys and The Base are terrorist organizations.
The two groups join 18 others, including the Islamic State. They have been designated as terrorist. Thus, making it illegal in New Zealand to fund, recruit, or participate in the groups and requiring authorities to take action against them.
The US groups are not known to be active in New Zealand. Though the South Pacific nation has become more aware of far-right threats. It follows the shooting and killing of 51 Muslim worshippers at two Christchurch mosques in 2019. Other white supremacists around the world were inspired by the New Zealand massacre. It included a white gunman who killed ten Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.
Proud Boys and The Base: terrorist organizations
In the United States, only foreign groups are designated as terrorist organizations by the State Department. However, the Proud Boys were designated a terrorist organization in Canada last year. While The Base has previously been designated a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
New Zealand authorities stated that the group’s involvement in the violent attack on the United States Capitol building. The incident happened on January 6, 2021, amounted to an act of terrorism.
According to the statement, there were several militia groups involved. Hence, it was the Proud Boys who incited crowds. They coordinated attacks on law enforcement officers, and led other rioters to where they could break into the building. According to the reports, there are separate but ideologically related sections of the Proud Boys operating in Canada and Australia.
Furthermore, the authorities in New Zealand claimed that, prior to the Capitol attack, the Proud Boys had a past of using street rallies and social media. In order to terrorize the opponents and recruit young men through violent demonstrations. It claimed the group used various smoke screens to conceal its extremism.
Proud Boys accused of seditious conspiracy
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, and four others linked to the group were charged in the United States. Earlier this month with seditious conspiracy for what federal authorities say was a coordinated attack on the Capitol. The Proud Boys are accused of conspiring to forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power, according to the indictment. The five are scheduled to stand trial in federal court in Washington, D.C. in August.
When asked by the media in New Zealand on Thursday, whether the Proud Boys were not better known for mass protests rather than extreme violence. The New Zealand Police Minister Chris Hipkins responded, “Well, violent protests attempting to overthrow the government, clearly there is evidence of that.”
In their case against The Base, New Zealand authorities stated that one of the group’s primary goals was to “train a cadre of extremists capable of accelerationist violence.”
Further, the founder Rinaldo Nazzaro has repeatedly counseled members online about violence. The acquisition of weapons, and actions to accelerate the collapse of the United States government and survive the ensuing period of chaos and violence.
