Two members of far-right group Proud Boys each get four years in prison

Two members of the far-right group Proud Boys were sentenced on Tuesday to four years each for their roles in a violent clash with Antifa members in Manhattan last year.

Maxwell Hare, 27, and john Kinsman, 40, faced up to 15 years in prison. The prosecution asked Justice Mark Dwyer to hand down five-year terms.

The defendants were convicted in August of attempted gang assault, riot and attempted assault. 

Proud Boys Maxwell Hare, 27 (left), and John Kinsman, 40 (right), were sentenced to four years in prison each for an October 2018 brawl 

Hare apologized for leading the attack on Antifa members in Manhattan, saying, ‘I made a mistake that night’ 

Kinsman, described by a prosecutor as ‘the single most vicious of all the attackers,’ expressed regret for the entire incident 

The pair were among 10 members of Proud Boys who were arrested in connection with the brawl outside the Metropolitan Republican Club on the Upper East Side on October 12, 2018.

A group of left-leaning anti-fascist activists were protesting a speaking event by Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes when the two factions came to blows.

The incident, which happened on East 82nd Street and Lexington Avenue was caught on surveillance and cell phone footage, showing Proud Boys punching and stomping on their outnumbered opponents.

Members of Antifa who were beaten in the attack were not identified and refused to cooperate with police for fear of being charged as well.  

Hare, who was said to have unleashed the attack on Antifa, said at his sentencing: ‘I made a mistake that night,’ as New York Times first reported. 

Kinsman, a married father of three who was described by a prosecutor as ‘the single most vicious of all the attackers,’ also apologized for his role in the fight, telling the court: ‘I regret the entire incident.’

A scene of the attacks on East 82nd Street and Lexington Avenue, in New York City’s Upper East Side, where Antifa members (in black) and Proud Boys members clashed 

Both Hare and Kinsman claimed self-defense during their trial, accusing Antifa members of being the instigators.  

Without mentioning McInnes by name, Justice Dwyer appeared to partially blame the founder of the group for what happened when he said: ‘I’m not sure the most moral responsibility belongs to these two defendants.’

Dwyer also strongly issued a dire warning about allowing political differences to escalate to physical violence.

‘I know enough about history to know what happened in Europe in the ’30s when political street brawls were allowed to go ahead,’ he said, alluding to the rise of Nazism and fascism. 

Kinsman, a married dad-of-three, embraced family members attending his sentencing 

Kinsman was led away in handcuffs at the conclusion of the hearing, which saw the presiding judge warn against repeating the errors of the past

Like his accomplice, Hare argued during his trial that he was acting in self-defense 

At the conclusion of the sentencing, Hare and Kinsman, both dressed in sober dark suits, with their hair slicked back, were led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

Kinsman’s family members were photographed embracing the convicted man.

Of the 10 Proud Boys charged in connection with the brawl, seven agreed to plea deals and one, David Kuriakose, is still awaiting trial.