Proud Boys leader Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio wears a hat that says The War Boys during a rally in Portland, Oregon, in September 2020 [File: Allison Dinner/AP Photo]

Washington, February 12 (RHC)--A judge blocked a motion from Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, leader of the far-right Proud Boys, that challenged an order barring him from returning to Washington, DC, after his January 4 arrest on misdemeanour and felony charges.

Judge Robert Okun, an associate judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, wrote in his February 4 ruling (PDF) the condition that Tarrio not return to DC was the “least restrictive condition consistent with public safety” given “his prior criminal history“.

Tarrio was arrested for allegedly burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historically-Black church during December demonstrations. He was released ahead of his trial, which does not have a date, but ordered to stay outside the U.S. capital.

Court filings say DC Metropolitan Police found “two high capacity .556 caliber firearm magazines” inside Tarrio’s “personal book bag” during the arrest.  They also cite Tarrio’s social media comments.

The Proud Boys are considered an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. They rose to prominence by brashly supporting former U.S. President Donald Trump during demonstrations that often featured violence between far-right and far-left demonstrators.  Tarrio’s arrest came two days before the deadly riot at the US Capitol that sought to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory.