Justice Scales and wooden gavel or hammer on wooden surface
<p>Over two years after the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church filed a <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/oop-ticketmaster-hit-with-lawsuit-over-drake-tour-prices/?_gl=1*1deb7jn*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTc5ODMzMDc1MC4xNjgwMjk4NjI1*_ga_V2HX8YP3XL*MTY4MDI5ODYyNC4xLjEuMTY4MDI5ODYyOS4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> against the Proud Boys, the historic Black church finally got its day in court.</p>
<p>Notably, it&#8217;s seeking $22M from the Proud Boys—one of the alt-right groups that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021—to send a clear message.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Metropolitan AME Church Takes A Stand Against The Proud Boys</h3>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/metropolitan-ame-proud-boys-lawsuit_n_64247556e4b01284198ac9b8/amp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HuffPost</a>, the church&#8217;s grievance with the Proud Boys comes ahead of the Jan. 6 attack, as members of the group ripped down a Black Lives Matter sign on display during a rally on Dec. 12, 2020.</p>
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<p>On Wednesday, members of the Washington, D.C., church argued that they&#8217;re seeking $22M in an attempt to hit the organization where it hurts: their wallet.</p>
<p>Rev. William Lamar also told Judge Neal Kravitz that Metropolitan AME Church wants &#8220;to be clear this is unacceptable, it is illegal, and it cannot continue.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;We wanted to make a statement: that we will not shrink in the face of this. We know that this [Proud Boys] activity continues — and we have an opportunity to be clear that this is unacceptable, it is illegal, and it cannot continue.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Regarding the situation, he added that—while the root of the lawsuit is over the destruction of a BLM sign—it goes much, much deeper.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s more than doing violence to a sign—they seek to continue the violence their ancestors visited upon our ancestors. They don&#8217;t want to just ruin signs. They want to destroy lives. They want to destroy hope. They want to erase history. We won&#8217;t let them do that.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">The &#8216;Ultimate Goal&#8217; Is To Stop The Group In Its Tracks</h3>
<p>Metropolitan AME Church is being represented by a legal team affiliated with the. Lawyers&#8217; Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and director Arthur Ago further spoke on the incentive behind the lawsuit.</p>
<p>Specifically, he tells HuffPost that the &#8220;ultimate goal&#8221; is to &#8220;stop the Proud Boys from being able to do what they do.&#8221;</p>
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<blockquote><p>&#8220;The ultimate goal of this is not a monetary windfall. It&#8217;s to stop the Proud Boys from being able to do what they do. They continue to raise money&#8230; and that money&#8217;s being used to do the things we saw on Dec. 12, Jan. 6, and now at drag queen story hours in Ohio and New York and Maryland. That&#8217;s what we want to stop.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>While the matter&#8217;s still ongoing, things seem to be moving in the church&#8217;s favor. The alt-right group reportedly failed to appear in court on Wednesday, and Metropolitan AME Church has already won some default judgements in the case.</p>
<p>Court will resume on April 7.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">What do you think about the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in D.C. filing a $22M lawsuit against the Proud Boys?</p>
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