Proud Boys, BLM Spar At Woodbridge Council Meeting

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Members of the Proud Boys were in attendance at Tuesday night's Woodbridge Council meeting, as were members of Black Lives Matter. The two groups clashed with each other, both at the meeting in Council chambers and outside on the steps of Woodbridge town hall.

The Proud Boys are far-right, Western supremacy group. They could be seen at the Tuesday night meeting wearing their signature yellow and black clothing, wearing baseball hats and black masks pulled high over their faces. This video shows them clashing with Black Lives Matter members on the steps of Woodbridge town hall.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has classified the Proud Boys as a hate group. Many members have been linked to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, and the group was named a terrorist entity by Canada this May.

The Proud Boys were there to protest what they say is "sexual degeneracy" and "the rewriting of history along with racial guilt" in Woodbridge schools, referring to critical race theory.

However, it is not confirmed if critical race theory is being taught in Woodbridge schools, or what specific curriculum or lessons they take issue with.

One man named Burt (last name not given) spoke at the meeting and said he has been a member of the Proud Boys since 2016.

"We are men in this community, with children in the school system, tax money in the school system; we are small-business owners and workers in this community. We have skin in this game," he said. "We are tired of being accused of white supremacy and racism, when our group is beyond diverse of every color, religion, sexual orientation and we are tired of being accused of intimidation."

Burt said he himself is gay. He also criticized Black Lives Matter.

Burt also said the Proud Boys will continue to show up at Woodbridge Council meetings "until the powers that be actually start to listen to each and every citizen who is being labeled a bigot because they do not want our culture and decency to erode."

Many other Woodbridge residents then stood and denounced the Proud Boys.

"Just to say about this whole Proud Boys thing, they are objectively a bigoted and terrorist organization," said another Woodbridge resident, only identified as Kyle, to loud claps from the audience. "I don't even know why you would allow these kinds of people in here ... CRT is a bogeyman; it's a complete bogeyman."

"This is a hate group. They're in Woodbridge Township," said Woodbridge resident James Dabrowski. "This is not OK."

Dabrowski implored the Woodbridge town Council to denounce the Proud Boys, saying:

"One of you have a spine and say this is not OK in Woodbridge Township!"

The Council remained silent.

"You come here to intimidate people," another Woodbridge woman told the Proud Boys.

Black Lives Matter has been attending Woodbridge town council meetings for several months now. Some members have been pressing Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac to say the words "black lives matter," something he has so far declined to do.

Here is the Dec. 14 Woodbridge Council meeting; the Proud Boys start speaking at minute 51:45:

The Proud Boys were founded in 2016 by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInees. It's a men-only international group, and members take this oath: "I am a proud western chauvinist; I refuse to apologize for creating the modern world."

Proud Boys members strongly deny that they are racist, and say they are actually pro-Western culture and values. They describe themselves as a fraternal group spreading messages of "anti-political correctness" and "anti-white guilt." Members generally support strong gun rights and reject feminism and gender equality.

With reporting from Beth Dalby/Patch national desk

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