The Proud Boys are having a meltdown over a new DC rally

[View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter]( September 9, 2021 Law enforcement officials in DC are bracing for [potential violence]( ahead of a September 18 rally that organizers have coined the #JusticeForJ6 protest. The event is being hosted by a former Trump campaign employee, Matt Braynard, who hopes to show some solidarity with the hundreds of pro-Trumpers being prosecuted for their involvement in January's Capitol attack. But how are extremist groups responding to Braynard's plans? Apparently with [paranoia, confusion, and mixed signals](. My colleagues [Dan Friedman and Ali Breland report on the mess](: Through a Telegram account, the Proud Boys also disputed the idea that group members planned to attend en mass and suggested the rally was a law enforcement trap. “We aren’t going and you shouldn’t either because [everybody is] going to jail. Sounds like bait,” the group warned. "If you rally in DC right now, you’re an idiot and you’re going to get people thrown in jail or worse," another message said. Proud Boy leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, as he arrived in DC on Monday to begin serving a five-month sentence for property destruction and weapons charges, [said]( that he hasn’t "seen a single Proud Boy say they're actually gonna go." Some of the Proud Boys Telegram groups tried to get ahead of any potential violence by sharing a message that read, "Whatever this rally is in DC, it definitely isn't going to be a Proud Boy rally. No doubt there will be some boomers in black and yellow gear calling themselves Proud Boys though." Meanwhile, Braynard is still predicting that 700 people will show up on September 18, and a favorite hotel beloved by Proud Boys members is sold out for the weekend. How this rally unfolds is anyone's guess. But DC officials are preparing for all scenarios—and that's most definitely the right move. —Inae Oh Advertisement [Icarus Films, Inc.]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [FBI Seizes Oath Keeper Lawyer’s Phone in “Seditious Conspiracy” Investigation]( The move suggests an expansion of the January 6 case against members of the militia network. BY DAN FRIEDMAN [Trending] [The fight over the "Ground Zero Mosque" was a grim preview of the Trump era]( BY TIM MURPHY [The Proud Boys say they aren't coming. DC is bracing for violence anyway.]( BY DAN FRIEDMAN AND ALI BRELAND [9/11: When pop culture went into patriotic overdrive]( BY NATHALIE BAPTISTE [Take a look in the mirror: The horror of the new "Candyman" is complicity.]( BY EDWIN RIOS Advertisement [Icarus Films, Inc.]( [The Big Feature] [Special Feature]( [The best Holocaust movie you haven't been able to see—yet]( But that may change, as Barry Levinson's new film is screened at the Toronto Film Festival. BY DAVID CORN [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( [Recharge] SOME GOOD NEWS, FOR ONCE [Artists in Louisiana Mobilize on Instagram for On-the-Ground Hurricane Relief]( In the days after Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, leaving at least 26 dead and ravaging homes, historical structures, power lines, and cultural spaces, artists began self-organizing to shore up the staggering holes left by federal and state emergency response. From [@IdaSupportNetwork]( to [@IdaSupportNetworkNY](, new Instagram accounts started reposting requests for aid and mobilizing material relief. The artists connected scores of people “with transportation, housing, and other time-sensitive resources, circulating a spreadsheet of individuals in need and others who can help, as well as running an emergency support hotline,” Valentina Di Liscia [reported]( for Hyperallergic. “Our collective experience in the film industry definitely played a part in how we were able to organize ourselves to respond to Hurricane Ida,” New Orleans–based filmmaker Bron Moyi told her about his hand in raising tens of thousands of dollars to donate generators, lanterns, fuel, canned food, and other supplies, along with his colleagues Satie De Gend, Edward Buckles, and Cassandra Rumping. “Assembling a team, delegating tasks, using creativity as a problem-solving tool, and a high tolerance for stress and operating on lack of sleep all to achieve a common goal.” A deeper dive [here](, and share more hurricane-relief recharges at recharge@motherjones.com. —Daniel King Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755