Proud Boys briefly gather in Saratoga on Whitney Day - Albany Times Union

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About 30 members of the far-right group assembled on Broadway Saturday afternoon in an impromptu demonstration

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A group of apparent members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group gathered briefly on Broadway Saturday afternoon. Witness also saw members of the group in Ballston Spa and Waterford later in the day.

Video posted to Facebook showed about 30 masked members of the group wearing black and yellow clothing bearing the group's name standing at a measure of attention while the "Star Spangled Banner" played off-screen.

Another video showed the group standing in an intersection holding American and anti-Biden flags aloft as Jason Aldean's "Try That in a Small Town" played behind them.

There was no visible police presence at the gathering. Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner James Montagnino said that his office had not received any notice that the group was planning to assemble. "We didn’t have any prior notice," Montagnino said. "The whole thing was done in a matter of minutes. We have regular patrols and there was nothing that called out for intervention."

A yellow Dodge pickup truck with a sign saying "Law and Order" above the cab and American flags in the bed was illegally double parked on Broadway during the demonstration.

The group appeared peaceful and largely non-disruptive, according to photos and video reviewed by the Times Union.

The Anti-Defamation League describes the Proud Boys as: " a right-wing extremist group with a violent agenda. They are primarily misogynistic, Islamophobic, transphobic and anti-immigration. Some members espouse white supremacist and anti-Semitic ideologies and/or engage with white supremacist groups."

Members of the group nationally took part in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, with four leaders of the group being convicted of seditious conspiracy charges earlier this year.

Saturday was one of the biggest days in the Saratoga summer calendar, with the Whitney Stakes drawing thousands to the city and race track.

"There didn't seem to be any need for any major calling up of additional personnel," Montagnino said.

Saratoga Black Lives Matter leader Lexis Figuereo blasted Montagnino's response to the gathering, citing the heavy police response that his group has received when it has demonstrated on Broadway.

He also questioned why the duration of the gathering should have had any bearing on an official response from the city. "It was okay because it was short and that's why he felt no need to do something about it?," Figuereo said.

Figuereo said he believed the men who gathered on Broadway had come from out of town. "This is a white supremacist gang and hate group," he said.

Montagnino said he had not been in touch with Mayor Ron Kim about the impromptu gathering; a message for Kim left by the Times Union was not immediately returned Sunday.



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