Alt-right group founder: Boston mayor wants riots so he can ‘take more power’

Gavin McInnes, the founder of Proud Boys, an alt-right men’s organization that advocates “Western values,” said the past weekend’s events in Charlottesville, Va., have changed the context of the rally and he believes Boston’s Democratic mayor is using it to his political advantage.

“He is calling this a Nazi thing. He is going to let a riot happen and tell the police to stand down. I can tell the mayor is going to make sure we are endangered … it is a common political tactic,” McInnes told Boston Herald Radio Monday.

“Mayors have a language you can suss out if you’re careful,” he added. “The mayor of Charlottesville said, ‘I am going to revoke your permit’… that’s mayor speak for ‘I want a riot to happen so I can take more power.’ ”

Walsh has said police are investigating Boston Free Speech, the group organizing and promoting the rally, and said he’s already decided the event should be called off.

“We don’t need this type of hate. So my message is clear to this group: we don’t want you in Boston. We don’t want you on Boston Common,” Walsh said.

Hillary Clinton’s former campaign press secretary Brian Fallon has sought to link Jason Kessler, the organizer of Charlottesville’s violent rally, to Boston’s. Fallon provided video footage to the Washington Examiner of Kessler’s being violently initiated into the Proud Boys.

Free Speech Boston denies Fallon’s claims as “a lie and blatant attempt at defamation,” and said the group has been receiving death threats.

“Boston Free Speech,” has invited several speakers, many who identify as members of the alt-right and others as libertarians and supporters of free speech, according to its Facebook page.

Gov. Charlie Baker, R-Mass., said Monday he will do everything he can to keep an event like Charlottesville from happening in the Bay State. “What happened in Charlottesville, simply put, was an act of terrorism,” said Baker.