The leader of the extremist group, Proud Boys, was arrested on Monday after burning a Black Lives Matter flag in Washington.
The incident occurred just two days before protests are scheduled to take place in the nation’s capital to “coincide with a vote to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral college victory,” Miami Herald reported.
Enrique Tarrio, the group’s leader, known for promoting far-right ideas and Donald Trump, admitted to ripping the banner down from a historic Black church and burning it during an interview with the Washington Post in December.
He now faces charges of destruction of property.
“I have nothing to hide,” Tarrio said. “So let me make this simple. I did it.”
He was also charged with possession of a high capacity magazine after being arrested while on the phone with a reporter.
Over the weekend, reports stated that Tarrio protested outside of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s home in Miami. He attempted to persuade him to join several Republican senators who had promised to object to the electoral college result on Wednesday.
And if he doesn’t listen, Tarrio says that “he will pay.”
“He will pay at the ballot box,” Tarrio said. “If it wasn’t for us, none of [the senators] would have their seats right now.”
In Washington, authorities have already begun informing citizens to maintain their distance from pro-Trump protests scheduled to occur on Wednesday. The National Guard has also been deployed in light of the expected protests.
