They wear black and yellow Polo-style shirts that make them easy to spot.
And, increasingly, the group is being tied to demonstrations that have turned destructive and deadly, including the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week.
With President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week and threats made to target Washington D.C. and state capitals, many are concerned that the Proud Boys and other radical, right-leaning groups could wreak more havoc.
“You’re seeing a lot of rhetoric – revolution, attacks on statehouses, Biden’s inauguration,” said David Licate, a University of Akron criminal justice professor who once served on an FBI team that studied violent extremists. “You have to take it seriously. They (Proud Boys) are becoming more violent.”