A D.C. Black church that sued far-right vandals belonging to the Proud Boys for tearing down a Black Lives Matter banner and setting it ablaze during a 2020 protest was awarded more than $1 million, a judge ruled Friday. The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church originally filed a lawsuit after clashes between pro-Donald Trump supporters and counter protesters turned violent in December 2020. Trumpers ripped and burned two Black Lives Matter banners from the church, which accused them of trespassing and destroying religious property in a hate-inspired conspiracy. A judge has now placed a five-year ban on the Proud Boys and its leaders from stepping foot near the church or making threatening or disparaging remarks against the church or its pastor. Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, then-chairman of the Proud Boys and a Capitol rioter, admitted to lighting up a banner from a different historically Black church during the protest and was sentenced to five months in jail.
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