NYPD Gives Proud Boys Free Ride On NYC Subway To 'Deescalate The Situation'

The New York Police Department (NYPD) gave members of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys free rides on the city's subway system last week, footage showed.

A group of Proud Boys members was caught on camera passing through an open slam door at a Jackson Heights subway station Thursday, the New York Daily News reported.

The video featured a person repeatedly asking off-camera, "Proud boys don't have to pay for the fare?" as members of the organization walked through the gate.

"We're special. Thank you. Appreciate it. From your taxes," one member replied in the clip, which was posted on TikTok by user @brennalip and reuploaded on Twitter.

When the person filming the video asked a police officer who appeared to have a sergeant's stripes on his jacket, "Oh, I have to pay the fare, but they don't?" the cop replied, "That is correct."

The footage was seemingly taken moments after the group protested Drag Story Hour, an event held at a Queens library that featured people dressed in drag reading books to children.

Conservatives have reportedly slammed Drag Story Hour as they claimed it is too risque for kids, while progressives contended that it is an innocent and entertaining way to encourage literacy as well as acceptance.

Pepper spray was used by some of the people who gathered to protest and counter-protest Thursday's event, according to police.

In a statement released Monday afternoon, the NYPD said, "A decision was made to escort one group to the Jackson Heights subway station to remove the group [from] the area" in an attempt "to deescalate the situation and prevent further violence."

"Due to the urgency and rapidly evolving situation, a determination was made to place the group on the subway and remove them from the area before the situation could escalate further," the force said.

New York City Councilwoman Sandy Nurse described the incident as troubling.

"Whether it's a de-escalation technique or not, it's still symbolic. It doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem like our priorities are in place," Nurse told the Daily News.

New York City spends about $10 million a month for the 250 security guards who are supposed to prevent fare beating, the official, who is against the expenditure, noted.

"I guess it's cool for homophobic white men who participated in a violent attempted coup against the nation to evade fares," Nurse remarked in a Twitter post.

One person, identified as 32-year-old Queens resident John Curry, was arrested last Thursday after the Proud Boys clashed with a larger group of Drag Story Hour supporters in Jackson Heights, a spokesperson for the NYPD said Monday.

The spokesperson did not disclose whether the person was affiliated with the Proud Boys or counter-protesters.