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Video of Bloodied 'Proud Boys' Member at Drag Protest Viewed 2m Times [1]
['Gerrard Kaonga', 'Ellis Henican']
Date: 2023-03-20 07:53:44-04:00
A video of a member of the far-right group the Proud Boys walking through the streets of New York with a bloodied face has gone viral.
On Sunday, the group surrounded the LGBTQ Center in Manhattan, New York, as they protested the Drag Queen Story Hour with New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to media reports.
The event was held from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on 13th street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, according to a Freedom News report.
The Proud Boys, and those protesting in the area, were met with counter-protesters.
Drag events have been targeted by right-wing activists across the United States in recent months, with a particular focus on those accessible to children. In Tennessee, Republican lawmakers have voted to ban "adult cabaret performance" from public property, or any location which could be viewed by a child, with similar legislation being proposed in a number of other states like Kentucky and Oklahoma.
In the viral clip, which has been viewed more than 2 million times, a member of the group is seen walking away from the area while talking to cameramen.
#HappeningNow "I came here to help, not get the shit beat out of me" - a member of Proud Boys, with visible blood on his face ushered away from Drag Queen Story Hour event in NYC as protesters chant "Fuck the Proud Boys"
https://t.co/bXZXQWtfVH pic.twitter.com/ObbuyZXOVo — Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) March 19, 2023
He is heard saying: "I came here to help people, not to get the s*** beaten out of me."
Blood can be seen dripping down one side of his face as he leaves the area. It is not clear how the Proud Boy member sustained an injury.
The video shows counter-protesters heckling the Proud Boy members, swearing at them, and demanding they leave the area.
The group members are followed by some counter-protestors who continue to shout at them as they leave.
The official Twitter page of New York Attorney General Letitia James did not comment on the protest that occurred during the event. James shared images of the event and thanked those who attended.
In a tweet, she wrote: "It's time for Drag Story Hour! We're at @LGBTCenterNYC with some amazing Drag Story Hour NYC storytellers, New York families, elected officials, and community leaders to kick off our Drag Story Hour read-a-thon!"
In a follow-up tweet, she said: "Drag Story Hour is a fun opportunity to get our kids excited about reading! Thank you to all the families who came out today for our incredible read-a-thon."
Drag Story Hour is a fun opportunity to get our kids excited about reading!
Thank you to all the families who came out today for our incredible read-a-thon. 🌈📖 pic.twitter.com/cDfyt1ANKJ — NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) March 19, 2023
LGBTQ advocates and others have described the bill in Tennessee and other states as unconstitutional restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression.
According to the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, while courts have previously affirmed and supported laws intended to protect children from accessing obscene content or other "adult" content, some have argued that a law banning protected and unprotected expression could be seen as overbroad and, potentially, unconstitutional.
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[1] Url:
https://www.newsweek.com/proud-boys-drag-protest-new-york-viral-video-bloody-fight-1788833
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