Sad For Your Boy. Mobilization Against Proud Boys In Kentucky

In March 2025, a local chapter of the Proud Boys in Kentucky, known as the "Green River" Proud Boys, announced their plans to host a summer gathering on July 5th to commemorate the one-year anniversary of their founding, declaring it would become an annual event.

This announcement followed the group's participation in a march in Washington D.C. for Trump's inauguration in January, where they were unopposed, taking numerous photographs while proudly displaying their group's logo.

Historically, Owensboro, Kentucky has been the focal point of a persistent Anti-Fascist cultural conflict involving organizations such as the Daviess County Citizens For Decency and the more radical socialist youth. This conflict reached a peak when the DCC4D sought to ban certain books from the local library and the removal of two associates from a 'Moms for Liberty' chapter for their association with the Green River Proud Boys.

"Moms For Liberty" posing with members of the "Proud Boys"

Antifascists observed the event and spent subsequent months deliberating on an appropriate course of action. The initial response involved flyering  the local area around Owensboro, Kentucky, to inform community members and urging local bars they frequent to refrain from doing business with the Proud Boys. In the weeks leading up to the nationwide "No Kings Day" protests on June 14th, several Proud Boys issued threats to harm attendees and intimidate them, as well as making physical appearances in certain locations.

Responding to this escalation, Antifascists reacted by leaking information about the Proud Boys' July 5th event the day after the nationwide protests, aiming to alert the community and exert pressure for its cancellation. The initial response to the event resulted in calls for action.

Numerous organizations were warned regarding the Proud Boys event, which eventually led to a local chapter of the Progressive Labor Party, a communist organization, spear-heading a counter-demonstration.

In spite of their ideological differences, a coalition of groups united under the shared objective of opposing Fascism, dedicating the subsequent weeks to meticulous planning until the day of the action, ultimately settling on a protest at Thompson Berry Park at 2 PM.

On July 5th, around midday, a small group of Antifascist convened at a nearby site to form a party tasked with scouting the area. Upon surveying the suspected location, they observed at least five Proud Boys in uniform congregated in front of the residence hosting the event. The Antifascist promptly communicated this information to other organizers and proceeded to the designated protest meetup location.

As the clock approached 1 PM, vehicles began to arrive gradually at Thompson Berry Park, with attendees inquiring about the protest, expressing gratitude to the organizers, offering tips, and stating that although they could not participate, they supported the cause and urged to be contacted should any issues arise.

As the crowd continued to swell, Chad Wayne, the President of the Proud Boys Chapter, drove by on his motorcycle to inquire whether a protest was occurring. After being recognized and verbally told to leave, Chad Wayne circled the parking lot, displaying erratic behavior. He approached the group of protesters, asserting that "He wanted the biggest one" as a challenge to engage in physical confrontation.

Realizing he was outnumbered and that the group remained undeterred by his provocations, Chad resorted to hurling racial slurs at the protesters while retreating to his motorcycle, ultimately departing the scene.

In light of the utterly erratic and unhinged conduct displayed by Wayne in the parking lot, The Antifascist contacted others nearby, urging them to attend the protest and remain prepared for any potential emergencies.

Within a few minutes, several additional individuals arrived consisting of local activists. The assembly had increased to about 15 participants. At around 1:45 pm, two protesters assessed the distance between the protest site and the Proud Boys gathering, formulating a practical strategy for the situation.

Employing Kentucky's "Stand Your Ground" laws, the protest decided to proceed with their actions, ensuring that those trained in self-defense were prepared for any potential incidents.

The protest commenced from the parking lot of Thompson-Berry Park, advancing to the center of a public field, halting approximately 35 yards behind the location of the Proud Boys meeting. Almost instantly, Chad Wayne leaped over the fence from his property and began shouting at the protesters. Following him was Willie Gibson, the "Vice President," who urged others to join him in this confrontation.

Gibson immediately charged towards the protesters, hoping to instigate a panic that would cause them to flee. However, he halted midway when an Antifascist shouted for them to "back up" and another reminded them that they were being observed.

A palpable moment of doubt and hesitation was evident among the Proud Boys who had jumped the fence, quickly regretting their impulsive decision. At this juncture, a Tennessee Proud Boy, previously recognized at a "No Kings" Protest in Nashville, intervened, attempting to persuade others to retreat.

In spite of the calls for withdrawal, Chad Wayne persisted in confronting the crowd, engaging in pushing and shoving alone while other Proud Boys began to withdraw. His behavior became increasingly erratic, culminating in him swinging wildly. A confrontation ensued, with Chad Wayne at the forefront, repeatedly swinging and missing several protesters.

Observing this, Antifascist rushed to Chad's location, while Willie Gibson and three other Proud Boys followed suit, ultimately converging in the field. In an almost equal standoff of five against five, the Antifascist countered the Proud Boys' assaults, thwarting their attempts to "swarm" the women in the group.

The Proud Boys were already fatigued from sprinting 35 yards across the field, which significantly drained their stamina and hampered their offensive capabilities. During the altercation, Vice President Willie Gibson attempted to strike a female protester but was struck with such force that he immediately collapsed to the ground afterward.

After Willie fell, the remaining members of the Proud Boys gradually began to retreat, uncertain about whether to continue the fight.

At this moment, the Owensboro Police arrived at the scene in the parking lot of Thompson Berry Park and rushed into the field. Chad Wayne directed the Proud Boys back into the yard as the police approached. Meanwhile, the Antifascist stayed in the park, continuing to collect their belongings while mocking the Proud Boys, who had attempted to instigate a brawl but had effectively lost, as captured by camera.

The majority of the protest participants concluded that it would be safer to head to a nearby bar to inform community members about the events that had transpired and to work on identifying individuals involved in the attacks.

In the aftermath, the Proud Boys' egos were so severely bruised that they created entirely new social media accounts solely to boast about having a flag and banner that were taken during the altercation.

Conversely, the Antifascists possess video evidence of the Proud Boys being confronted, which has garnered views, revealing their identities and locations, along with footage of their vice president being subdued after attempting to instigate a fight.

Ultimately, in the context of the current national climate and the Proud Boys' sense of security under Trump, which allowed them to participate in counter protest and organize public events, the Owensboro demonstration highlighted just how fragile these so-called Proud Western Chauvinists are when faced with opposition.