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Proud Boys and anti-mask, anti-vaccine protesters gather in downtown Raleigh

By Josh Shaffer
A woman walks with a baby stroller and children past about 40 demonstrators including about a dozen men in Proud Boy clothing protesting COVID-19 mandates on Jones Street Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Some of the demonstrators arrived in a convoy that included a tractor-trailer and was part of an earlier protest in Mebane that was advertised on social media as a trucker convoy.
A woman walks with a baby stroller and children past about 40 demonstrators including about a dozen men in Proud Boy clothing protesting COVID-19 mandates on Jones Street Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Some of the demonstrators arrived in a convoy that included a tractor-trailer and was part of an earlier protest in Mebane that was advertised on social media as a trucker convoy. Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com
RALEIGH

Protesters in Proud Boys uniforms gathered in downtown Raleigh along with a convoy of trucks Friday, briefly stopping in front of the legislature before being told to park one block away.

Roughly 40 people came to Jones Street, some in a tractor-trailer that had traveled from Mebane as part of an earlier protest against COVID-19 mandates.

About half the group wore the Proud Boys’ black and yellow colors, carrying flags that read “Proudly Unvaccinated” and shirts that read “(Expletive) Antifa.”

About 40 demonstrators including about a dozen men in Proud Boy clothing protested COVID-19 mandates on Jones Street Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Some of the demonstrators arrived in a convoy that included a tractor-trailer and was part of an earlier protest in Mebane that was advertised on social media as a trucker convoy.
About 40 demonstrators including about a dozen men in Proud Boy clothing protested COVID-19 mandates on Jones Street Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Some of the demonstrators arrived in a convoy that included a tractor-trailer and was part of an earlier protest in Mebane that was advertised on social media as a trucker convoy. Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com

Twitter posts associated with the Mebane group of anti-mask and anti-vaccine protesters suggested they planned to block traffic downtown similar to ongoing demonstrations by truckers in Canada.

But within minutes of arriving downtown, the tractor-trailer and convoy of roughly a dozen pickup trucks moved to a parking lot further down Jones Street at Raleigh police’s request.

At one point, two men in Proud Boys uniforms stood guard in front of a portable toilet near the General Assembly while a third was inside, but no other public facilities were blocked Friday.

Two men in Proud Boys uniform stand guard over a portable toilet in downtown Raleigh Friday. About 40 people joined their protest.
Two men in Proud Boys uniform stand guard over a portable toilet in downtown Raleigh Friday. About 40 people joined their protest. Josh Shaffer

While many of the protesters carried anti-vaccine mandate signs, their comments through a megaphone covered a variety of topics, including unspecified government attempts at mind control.

Five counter-protesters held a Black Lives Matter flag on the opposite side of Jones Street, and the groups shouted at each other.

A small convoy of demonstrators protesting COVID-19 mandates that included a tractor-trailer arrives on Jones Street in Raleigh Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Some protesters included about a dozen men dressed in Proud Boy clothing. The demonstration was part of an earlier protest in Mebane that was advertised on social media as a trucker convoy.
A small convoy of demonstrators protesting COVID-19 mandates that included a tractor-trailer arrives on Jones Street in Raleigh Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Some protesters included about a dozen men dressed in Proud Boy clothing. The demonstration was part of an earlier protest in Mebane that was advertised on social media as a trucker convoy. Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com

This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 2:32 PM.

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