Patriot Front Ordered to Pay $2.75 Million for Assault

A federal court has ordered the white supremacist group Patriot Front and its leader, Thomas Rousseau, to pay $2.75 million to Charles Murrell III, a Black musician injured during a 2022 'flash march' in Boston. Murrell was attacked by the group, resulting in physical and psychological injuries, with the court ruling the attack was motivated by anti-Black bias. The judgment includes compensation for injuries, lost wages, and punitive damages, as well as Murrell's attorney fees. Despite the Boston police identifying the incident as likely motivated by racial bias, no criminal prosecutions followed. The case is seen as significant in potentially destabilizing the operations of hate groups like Patriot Front, as civil cases have been a critical tool in dismantling such groups historically. The ruling underscores a strong legal stance against hate-based violence, aiming to deter future acts of similar nature.