Proud Boys Leader Pleads Guilty to Burning DC Church’s BLM Banner

A leader for the far-right Proud Boys group pleaded guilty in court on Monday in Washington DC to charges related to burning a Black Lives Matter flag in December. 

“It’s pretty simple. I’m guilty,” Enrique Tarrio said to Insider during a phone interview.

Tarrio pleaded guilty to burning the banner he stole from the Asbury United Methodist Church, a historic Black church. He denied to Insider that his actions were related to a hate crime. He told the outlet that he just opposed the Black Lives Matter movement and everything it stands for. 

“I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have burned the banner, but I’m just explaining why I did it,” Tarrio said.

Additionally, he pleaded guilty to a single count of attempting to possess a high-capacity ammunition magazine in the city. Tarrio was stopped on a search warrant on January 4, just two days before the Capitol riots, when the magazine was discovered.

The incident happened December 12 during a march through Washington to protest Joe Biden winning the November election. The group reportedly desecrated four churches during the protest. 

Tarrio said he’s pleading guilty to take responsibility for his actions and does not know how long or what type of a sentence he’s facing. Now, he is “at the mercy of the court.”