Central Texas ‘Proud Boys’ chapter raising money for body armor, riot gear, radios

A Proud Boys chapter in Central Texas is just $624 short of what it needs to outfit its members with “masks, shields, armpads [sic] and radios,” the chapter’s crowdfunding posting shows.

The Proud Boys want to use the gear to “assist with coordination and protection,” according to the fundraiser’s organizer, CJ Grisham.

“This is NOT a fundraiser advocating violence. Rather, it is a fundraiser to prevent violence or defend ourselves from it. We have NEVER advocated nor will we ever advocate offensive violence of any kind,” Grisham said, adding his group has been “under attack by antifa, by the left.”

Antifa, short for “anti-fascists,” is an umbrella term used to describe far-left militant groups.
C.J. Grisham, founder and president of Open Carry Texas, poses in Paris, Texas, on July 9, 2016, outside a trailer he tows advocating open carry laws in Texas. (AP Photo/Lisa Marie Pane)

The crowdfunding post is hosted on the “GiveSendGo” fundraising site, which describes itself as the “#1 Free Christian Crowdfunding Site.” The post was active sometime before the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, but the post does not have an exact date.

The first donation was $50 from an anonymous donor on Jan. 2, just four days before the Capitol attack, according to the website. The fundraiser has netted 88% of its $5,500 goal, according to the GiveSendGo site. The site lists the amount of each contribution and the contributor. Most of the contributors are listed as “Anonymous Donor.”