The far-right group the Proud Boys and its founder, Gavin McInnes, have been banned from Facebook and Instagram because of policies against hate groups.
The move follows the arrest of several people after Proud Boy members clashed with anti-fascist protesters in Manhattan on Oct. 12, following a speech by McInnes.
McInnes called the ban censorship in an email Wednesday. He said “the left” is “ramping up the hysteria with fake news” ahead of next week’s U.S. midterm elections.
The Southern Poverty Law Centre describes the all-male organization as a hate group. The Proud Boys refer to themselves as “Western chauvinists.”
Their mottos include: “West is best,” “Glorify the entrepreneur,” “Venerate the housewife” and “I won’t apologize for creating the modern world.”
A spokeswoman for Facebook, which also owns Instagram, said in a statement that the company bans content from hate groups “when we become aware of it.”
Last year, five members of the Canadian Forces who said they were members of the Proud Boys were removed from duties and training after they disrupted a Mi’kmaw ceremony on Canada Day.
Four of the five resumed their duties under probation at the end of Aug. 2017. The fifth member left the Forces of his own accord. No charges were laid against them
Members of the Canadian Forces who identified themselves as members of the Proud Boys disrupted a Mi’kMaw ceremony in July 2017.