Proud Boys' UES Brawl Puts NYPD Under Scrutiny From Officials

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A street brawl between members of the far-right group Proud Boys and anti-fascist protesters on the Upper East Side has resulted in no arrests – and city officials want to know why.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson stood in front of the Manhattan Republican Club on Monday to call on NYPD officials to release every video the department has from the Friday night brawl that happened after the group's leader, Gavin McInnes, spoke at the venue.

Johnson and colleagues in the council demanded an investigation into the NYPD's response to determine why officers weren't prepared for the confrontation and why no arrests were made despite officers arriving while the fight on East 83rd Street and Lexington Avenue was in full swing.

"We need to be as transparent as possible to New Yorkers," Johnson said. "We must continue because we want everyone to know exactly what happened. I still have outstanding questions, I'm still looking for answers.

"The NYPD pulled up here while violence occurred and nobody was arrested. How is that possible?"

Officials also criticized the Manhattan Republican Club for inviting McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys as a "pro-Western fraternal organization" for men who "refuse to apologize for creating the modern world."

Johnson and local City Councilman Keith Powers both called on Ed Cox, the chairman of the New York Republican State Committee, to resign.

By inviting McInness and the Proud Boys to the Upper East Side, the Republican Club "welcomed hate and violence onto this block and into this community," they said.

The NYPD announced Monday that the department is seeking to charge 12 people in relation to Friday night's violence. Of those 12, nine are members of the Proud Boys and three are counter protesters, NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said Monday. All 12 are wanted on charges of rioting and attempted assault, Shea said.

Dramatic video shows members of the Proud Boys cornering counter-protesters outside of the club and kicking them on the sidewalk as they lay on the ground. The group is also heard cursing and shouting gay slurs during the assault. As the group disperses, they can be heard saying "Proud Boys, let's go."

The main fight broke out on East 82nd Street between Lexington and Park avenues after members of the Proud Boys were funneled away from protesters, Shea said Monday. A group of six counter protesters wearing masks confronted a group of the Proud Boys and allegedly threw a bottle, sparking the fight, Shea said.

Police released video of the fight.

Photojournalist Sandi Bachom uploaded a video of the fight to Youtube which has more than 300,000 views. Bachom said the fight started after a counter protester attempted to steal a "Make America Great Again" hat off the head of a Proud Boys member. Three police officers approach the brawl on scooters, but appear hesitant to approach the fight or make arrests, according to Bachom's video.

An NYPD spokesperson told Patch that three men were arrested at the corner of East 84th Street and Third Avenue in a separate incident to the main fight. Two 20-year-old men and a 35-year-old man were charged with robbery and assault. The 35-year-old was also charged with resisting arrest.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on the FBI and New York State Police hate crimes unit to join an NYPD investigation into the brawl.

"We will not tolerate hate speech. It is not protected. It is illegal. We will investigate it to the fullest. The NYPD are one of the best police agencies in the country," Cuomo said Saturday.

"I'm going to ask the State Police Hate Crimes to work with them and again, I'm requesting the FBI to work with them because I'm sure they know these so-called Proud Boys who have a long history of violence and illegal activity."

The NYPD's 19th Precinct tweeted out photos of Proud Boys members wanted in connection with the attacks.

Vandals broke windows and spray-painted an Anarchist symbol on the Manhattan Republican Club's doors the night before the event. Ed Cox, the chairman of the New York Republican State Committee, called the vandalism an "an act of political violence done by cowards in the middle of the night" and blamed the attack on the rhetoric of state and national Democrats.

Photo: Gavin McInnes takes part in an Alt Right protest of Muslim activist Linda Sarsour on April 25, 2017 in New York City. Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images News/Getty Images