the armed conflict location & event data project

The Canadian government formally designated the Proud Boys as a “terrorist entity” in early 2021 due to their proclivity for violence ( New York Time, 3 March 2021 ), though a similar designation has not been assigned to the group in the US. This has not stopped the Proud Boys from coordinating with militias in street actions (f or more on coordination between militias and street groups see this ACLED report about election violence and this report about ‘Stop the Steal’ mobilization ). Instead, members refer to the Proud Boys as a “men’s drinking club” ( Los Angeles Times, 30 September 2020 ). The group does not describe itself as a militia. Members of the organization assert that they are defending “the West” from vaguely defined forces that purportedly seek to erode it, often using violence to achieve their goals. The group is explicitly far-right and anti-left, claiming their core identity as “Western chauvinists who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world” ( Taki Magazine, 15 September 2016 ).

The Proud Boys are an ultra-nationalist organization active in the US and Canada. They are involved in a range of different activities, including: direct engagement in demonstrations, both peaceful and violent non-violent or indirect engagement, such as voter intimidation or ‘providing security’ at protests for local businesses and civilian targeting (see map below). The Proud Boys are one of the most active right-wing groups in the ACLED dataset, with events reported across 28 states and Washington, DC since the start of 2020.

The armed conflict location & event data project