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- The Proud Boys group is splintering and in disarray in the wake of the Capitol riot.
- Its leader, Enrique Tarrio, was unmasked as an FBI informant, leading some chapters to secede.
- It’s main Telegram channel was renamed after some complained the brand had grown toxic.
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The far-right Proud Boys group is splintering in the wake of news that one of its leaders, Enrique Tarrio, was a longtime FBI informant.
Tarrio was unmasked as an informant on January 28, several weeks after the riot at the US Capitol where members of the “male chauvinist” street gang played a prominent role.
Tarrio had been arrested shortly ahead of the insurrection on destruction-of-property charges.
Since the riot on January 6, the group has been thrown into disarray, with Tarrio’s exposure as informant spreading paranoia.
The groups is split into various regional groups, or chapters. The Daily Beast reported on Sunday that the revelation about Tarrio prompted chapters in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Indiana to distance themselves from the central leadership.
On Telegram, the encrypted app favored by the group after being banned by other platforms, its main channel was recently renamed. This, say experts, indicates that many adherents no longer want to be associated with the Proud Boys name.
"The Telegram channel dropping the name, different chapters breaking off from the national leadership, it all speaks to a rift that's occurring in the Proud Boys," said Jared Holt, a fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab to USA Today.
"That brand has become too toxic."
And to add to its woes, the group was designated as a terror group by the Canadian government on February 3.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the group's "pivotal role" in the Capitol riot influenced the designation, which allows authorities to freeze its assets and members to be charged under terror laws if they commit violent offences.
The group was Founded by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, a Canadian, in 2016. He has since distanced himself from the group.
They gained notoriety for their involvement in violent clashes with Black Lives Matter and Antifa supporters at protests in cities across the US.
Former president Donald Trump boosted the group's profile when he told the Proud Boys to "stand by" when challenged by Joe Biden about his alleged support for white nationalist groups during their first presidential debate.
Insider reported that the group sought to capitalise on Trump's endorsement on Telegram, using the president's comments to lure in new recruits and sell merchandise.