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Among the targets of the group: reporters, a historic black church in Virginia, an Islamic center in Texas, a former member of the American cabinet and Old Dominion University, where Kelley attended. In November 2018, Kelley suggested the group target her school, which resulted in a bomb threat on campus.
“Crush attacks are serious crimes that disrupt the operations of local emergency agencies, remove first responders from real emergencies, and put victims, community members and law enforcement at grave risk,” Raj Parekh, Interim US District Attorney for the Eastern District. of Virginia, said in the statement.
Kelley’s conviction is the latest development in the nation’s account with racially motivated hate crimes, especially as white supremacist groups have felt emboldened in recent years by former President Donald Trump and in the light deadly riots on the Capitol on January 6.
Following the riots, law enforcement officials attempted to rally members of the Proud Boys, who played a key role in the violent activities that day. Many of those who stormed the Capitol that day said they felt there at the President’s invitation.
During his presidency, Trump often enjoyed the support of these groups, who gathered around him as an icon who was not afraid to speak his mind. And during a presidential debate in September, when Trump was asked to speak out against white supremacist and nationalist groups, including the Proud Boys, he refused. Instead, he replied, “Stand back and stay away.
In August 2017, a Unite the Right rally was held in Charlottesville, Virginia, where white nationalists gathered for a protest. Trump’s response to the rally drew fierce criticism, after he said there were “very good people on both sides.” Some saw his words as an attempt to equate white supremacists with those who protested against them. A counter-protester died after being hit by a car during the rally.
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