The Proud Boys were not too proud to walk home from a demonstration in Philadelphia this weekend — not that they had much choice in the matter.
The far-right group came to the City of Brotherly Love for a “We the People” rally, where they were greatly outnumbered by counter-protesters denouncing their divisive messages on immigration. As the Independent reported, the Proud Boys didn’t have much luck when they tried to leave the rally, either.
Videos shared by Vice News reporter Tess Owens on Twitter showed the protesters follow the Proud Boys as they tried to leave, imploring cab drivers not to give a ride to the members of the group. As the videos showed, all of the cab and Uber drivers obliged, driving off without picking up the Proud Boys.
The relatively new group of ardent Trump supporters has generated plenty of controversy. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled the Proud Boys a hate group, and members faced controversy after leader Gavin MacInnes spoke at an event in Manhattan last month. Several of the Proud Boys members attacked counter-protesters while NYPD officers watched on, with video of the beatings spreading across the internet. In the days that followed, the NYPD drew criticism for failing to take action during the attacks and several members of the Proud Boys were arrested on felony assault charges.
Taxi Drivers Reportedly Refuse Service to Racists Attending Far-Right Philadelphia Rally with Proud Boys https://t.co/74pmOuYpAA
— Jeffrey Levin ?? (@jilevin) November 18, 2018
This is not the first time that Philadelphia has been roiled by racially motivated controversy. Last year, the city’s police department sparked outrage when it refused to fire an officer who was photographed sporting an apparent Nazi tattoo on his arm. The department’s Internal Affairs office determined that officer Ian Hans Lichterman did not violate department policy with the tattoo, which showed a German eagle and the word “Fatherland” above it.
As the Philly Voice reported, the decision drew considerable backlash, and even Mayor Jim Kenney spoke out against it.
“I am deeply offended by the tattoo and I think it is completely inappropriate for any law enforcement officer to have such a tattoo given its impact on those they are sworn to protect and serve,” Kenney said in a statement. “Since the investigation determined that the officer couldn’t be dismissed because PPD does not have a policy against tattoos, we will draft such a policy so this cannot happen again.”
It was not clear how the Proud Boys got home after the demonstrations in Philadelphia this weekend.
