Proud Boys ordered to pay over $1 million for vandalizing BLM sign at D.C. black church

Proud Boys members were ordered to pay more than $1 million for tearing down and burning a "Black Lives Matter" banner at a predominantly black church in D.C. during a 2020 protest.

Also as part of his order Friday, Superior Court Associate Judge Neal Kravitz banned the leaders and members of the far-right group from being near the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church or threatening or defaming the church or its pastor for five years, according to The Associated Press.

The judge issued the order as a default judgment after the defendants did not appear in court for the case.

Two Black Lives Matter banners were torn down and burned from the Episcopal church and another historically black church during skirmishes in December 2020 between supporters of former President Donald Trump and counterprotesters.

Metropolitan AME sued the Proud Boys and the group's leaders for allegedly violating local and federal laws against trespassing and destroying religious items in a bias-related incident. 

Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio had pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges related to the incident in July 2021 and he was sentenced to over five months behind bars. 

Tarrio and other Proud Boy members were convicted separately on charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. 

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.