Proud Boys members and other right wing groups based in Utah are holding an armed 'Kyle Rittenhouse Appreciation' rally: report

Taylor Ardrey
Updated ·2 min read

  • Members of the far-right Proud Boys in Utah are holding a "Kyle Rittenhouse Appreciation" rally on Saturday, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

  • The Proud Boys are labeled as an extremist hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

  • Rittenhouse was acquitted from charges last month stemming from fatally shooting two people and injuring a third at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Proud Boys members are planning an armed "Kyle Rittenhouse Appreciation" rally in Utah on Saturday afternoon, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The "Stand Up For Your Constitutional Rights" event —which is being held at Washington Square Park in Salt Lake City between noon and 2 p.m. — is also co-sponsored by other right-wing militia groups in the area, according to the report.

A flyer of the event obtained by the outlet tells attendees to " bring banners, 2A flags and freedom flags" and to celebrate "your rights to DEFEND YOUR CITIES."

Hot chocolate and desserts will be available, according to the flyer.

The far-right Proud Boys are designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and members were among the pro-Trump mob that stormed the US Capitol building on January 6.

Prior to the start of his trial, Rittenhouse was championed by conservatives and his case sparked conversations regarding gun rights in the US.

Last month, Rittenhouse, who said he acted in self-defense, was acquitted of charges in connection to fatally shooting two men and wounding a third with an AR-15 rifle during a BLM protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020.

The protest occurred during a time of mass demonstrations against racial injustice throughout the country and shortly after the police in Kenosha shot Jacob Blake.

In a recent interview, Rittenhouse said he was "set up" by his former attorney for putting together the meeting where he was spotted with a member of the Proud Boys. A photo of the interaction went viral in January 2021.

"I found out they were Proud Boys when I saw the headlines," Rittenhouse told NewsNation last month. "I thought they were just a bunch of, like, construction dudes based on how they looked."

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