Who are the Boogaloo Boys?
You may have heard the terms “boogaloo,” “boog,” “boogaloo boys,” and “boog boys.” Some are calling them white supremacists, but I want to clarify how that is absolutely not the case.
The term “Boogaloo” comes from “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo,” a terrible sequel to an 80s dance movie. The term “Electric Boogaloo” came to represent terrible sequels to movies, books, and even historical events (in the same vein as “I’ve seen this movie” when we see history repeating itself).
At some point, libertarians, minarchists, and anarcho-capitalists (aka people who want free market and minimal or no government involvement in our everyday lives) began to make jokes about “Civil War 2: Electric Boogaloo,” a theoretical uprising against big government and over-militarized law enforcement. The joke became shortened to simply “Boogaloo,” and the Boogaloo Boys were born.
If you look at Boogaloo memes today, you will find people who distrust the government, police, and all law enforcement (especially the ATF and the DEA) and who understand that the primary purpose of the 2nd Amendment is to empower citizens to protect their rights from a corrupt government.
Boogaloo Boys are generally well-armed, often are also preppers (prepared for a societal collapse or other disaster), and look at current events with an eye for the worst-case scenario. They also often wear cargo pants and Hawaiian shirts (a reference to something about how Special Forces dress when undercover in other countries).
Recently, the Boogaloo Boys left the realm of memes and entered real-world current events when some have volunteered to help protect businesses and homes from looters. Many have also talked about wanting to protect protesters from police, and there’s a general sense in the Boogaloo community that they will resist curfews, martial law, and other attempts by the government to crack down on protests.
A Boogaloo Boy isn’t racially motivated, but they also don’t like being pressured to be “politically correct.” If you talk to them or see their memes, you might see jokes that could offend some people, but none of them are meant as anything beyond a joke. The primary motivation of the Boogaloo Boy is preventing government overreach and abuse of power - something that is actually fairly compatible with BLM’s goals.
So if you see Boogaloo Boys out at a protest, feel free to introduce yourself and ask what brings them out there - and even consider asking them to help defend the protest from cops that want to intimidate.
