A Manhattan judge Tuesday sentenced two members of the right-wing Proud Boys group to four years in prison for pummeling leftist Antifa members during a
brawl on the Upper East Side.
Justice Mark Dwyer gave Maxwell Hare, 27, and John Kinsman, 40, terms that were six months above the minimum for the caught-on-camera skirmish near the Metropolitan Republican Club after Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes delivered a speech.
Both defendants faced as much as 15 years. They were convicted last August at trial of attempted gang assault, attempted assault and riot stemming from the Oct. 12, 2018, melee.
“It’s a shame when some people jump up and down on a platform,” Dwyer said in an apparent reference to McInnes, “and their followers, their soldiers, get into trouble.”
He added, “I’m not sure the most moral responsibility belongs to these two defendants.”
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The fight unfolded shortly after McInnes’ speech ended and the Proud Boys exited the venue, as 60 protesters, including members of Antifa, massed behind barricades and jeered at them.
To avoid a confrontation, cops directed the Proud Boys west on 83rd Street, then south on Park Avenue, while they shepherded their opponents in the other direction.
As the Proud Boys neared East 82nd Street, they saw six suspected Antifa protesters, clad in black, heading toward them.
Instead of walking away, the defendants and their pals sprinted more than 100 feet toward their foes, instigating the fight, Steinglass said.
During the violent confrontation, Kinsman and Hare repeatedly punched, kicked and stomped on the outnumbered and undersize Antifa members.
The victims in the case were never identified, and
Antifa refused to cooperate with the investigation. Prosecutors said that if they could have located the Antifa members, they would have also been charged.
A total of 10 Proud Boys were charged in connection with the incident. Seven of them took plea deals, and one is still awaiting trial.
“I know enough about history to know what happened in Europe in the ’30s when political street brawls were allowed to go ahead,” Dwyer said during the sentencing. “We don’t want that to happen in New York.”
