Editing Ethan Nordean

{{Villain_Infobox 
|image =Nordean.jpg
|fullname = Ethan Nordean 
|alias = Rufio Panman
|origin = Auburn, Washington, United States 
|occupation = Member of the [[Proud Boys]]
|type of villain = Seditious Extremist
|goals = Overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and give [[Donald Trump]] four more years in office (failed)
|crimes = Sedition<br>Assault<br>[[Vandalism]]<br>[[Xenophobia]]<br>[[Racism]]<br>[[Misogyny]]
|hobby = Attending far-right rallies
}}{{Quote|Let them remember the day they decided to make war with us.|Ethan Nordean}}
'''Ethan Nordean''', also known as '''Rufio Panman''', is an American [[Alt-Right]] political activist. He is a leader of the [[Proud Boys]], an American far-right, neo-[[fascist]], and exclusively male organization that promotes and engages in political violence in the United States.

He played a prominent role in the [[2021 United States Capitol storming]], and was arrested on four criminal charges weeks later. A U.S. judge released Nordean to home confinement pending trial, citing weak evidence presented by federal prosecutors that he had personally engaged in violence.

In March 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Nordean and three other Proud Boys members for conspiracy. He was subsequently indicted on seditious conspiracy charges in June 2022, along with four other Proud Boy leaders, for his alleged role in the attack.
==Biography==
===Right-wing activism===
In mid-2017, Nordean started attending rallies in Seattle and Portland, Oregon organized by the far right [[Patriot Prayer]] group. According to Dave Neiwert, a journalist and author who covers far right political groups, "He's particularly noteworthy for the extraordinary levels of thuggish violence he brings to these events". 

On June 30, 2018, Nordean and other members of the Proud Boys participated in a demonstration in Portland organized by [[Joey Gibson]], founder of Patriot Prayer. Police declared the event a riot after violent street fighting broke out amid tensions between anti-fascist activists and Patriot Prayer supporters. Video showed Nordean shoving one counter protester to the ground before another approached with a metal baton. Nordean was wearing shin guards on his forearms and deflected the baton, then punched the man in the face, knocking him to the ground unconscious. According to a police report, the counter-protester was hospitalized with a concussion.

Following that incident, a meme featuring video of that punch went viral, and [[Gavin McInnes]], founder of the Proud Boys, praised Nordean's role in the violent episode, calling it "the turning point in our war against [[Antifa]]". McInnes compared it to the [[assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand]], which triggered [[World War I]].

The footage of the incident was used in recruiting videos for the Proud Boys that featured special effects and dramatic music. By October 2019, five of the most popular videos had over 1.5 million views on YouTube.

Shortly thereafter, Nordean was interviewed at length on ''The [[Alex Jones]] Show'', with the video playing constantly in the background. During his interview with Jones, Nordean said "Like Gavin McInnes says, violence isn't great, but justified violence is amazing." Describing left-wing counter-protesters, Nordean told Jones and his audience that "these are no longer people who are necessarily Americans, per se, but they're kind of anti-American" and "you just have to eliminate them as a threat".

Joe Rogan discussed Nordean's role in the violent incident on his podcast, in a segment about Antifa and street fighting. Nordean was later interviewed by Alex Jones a second time.

Nordean set up a private Facebook page to vet the fighting abilities of Proud Boys recruits. Despite complaints in 2018, Facebook declined to take down that page.
===As a member of the Proud Boys===
Nordean was designated "Proud Boy of the Week" by the group's magazine. On November 25, 2018, the Proud Boys released their revised bylaws on Scribd with the names of the top leadership supposedly redacted. Due to a technical error, the names could be recovered, and Nordean was listed as a member of the eight man "Elder Chapter", the top level leadership group, under his alias, Rufio Panman.

In the years that followed, Nordean took a leading role as an organizer of Proud Boys events and rallies. Devin Burghart, president of the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights, said, "He's been helping map the direction of the organization and recruiting members ... In no small part, he's been responsible for moving the group even more to the extreme far right and on a more violent path forward." Nordean operated a video podcast called "Rebel Talk with Rufio".

On December 11, 2020, Nordean was on the stage during a demonstration before the December 12 [[Stop the Steal movement|Stop The Steal]] rally in Washington, DC, alongside [[Roger Stone]] and fellow Proud Boys leader [[Enrique Tarrio]]. ''[[InfoWars]]'' personality Owen Shroyer also spoke to the crowd, claiming that the Supreme Court had stabbed people in the back.

On December 27, 2020, Nordean posted on Parler, saying "Anyone looking to help us with safety/protective gear, or communications equipment it would be much appreciated, things have gotten more dangerous for us this past year, anything helps". On January 4, 2021, Nordean posted a video on his Rebel Talk with Rufio podcast that was captioned, "Let them remember the day they decided to make war with us".

In the runup to the events at the Capitol on January 6, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio urged the Proud Boys to set aside their usual black and yellow garb, and attempt to blend in with the crowd. [[Joe Biggs]] and Nordean echoed his call on social media.
===During the 2021 Capitol attack===
A video documentary produced by the Wall Street Journal showed that, on January 6, Nordean and fellow Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs commanded a mob of about 100 Proud Boys members and supporters who assembled east of the United States Capitol Building. A video livestreamer who is a member of the Proud Boys described Biggs and Nordean as "Two men on a mission, with about 500 behind them ready to kick some butt for the benefit of this country".

They marched south past the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court building, and circled around the Capitol complex, approaching from the southwest. The Proud Boys contingent constituted a "a large proportion of the first wave" that reached the Capitol, and one Proud Boys member used a seized police shield to break a window to gain access to the building.

Prosecutors alleged Nordean was a chief organizer of a mob of about 100 Proud Boys that marched through Washington before the breach of the Capitol.

According to prosecutors, on January 8, Nordean posted an image of a Capitol Police officer shooting pepper spray at rioters. The caption read, "If you feel bad for the police, you are part of the problem..." 

On February 3, Nordean was arrested and charged with four federal crimes, including obstructing an official proceeding, aiding and abetting injury to government property, disorderly conduct and knowingly and violently entering a restricted building. If convicted on all four charges, Nordean could be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison.

[[Category:Modern Villains]]
[[Category:United States of America]]
[[Category:Extremists]]
[[Category:Living Villains]]
[[Category:Male]]
[[Category:Republican Party villains]]
[[Category:Thugs]]
[[Category:Brutes]]
[[Category:Traitor]]
[[Category:Delusional]]
[[Category:Terrorists]]
[[Category:Sadists]]
[[Category:Fascist]]
[[Category:Misogynists]]
[[Category:Vandals]]
[[Category:Xenophobes]]
[[Category:Supremacists]]
[[Category:Criminals]]
[[Category:Arrogant]]
[[Category:Mongers]]
[[Category:Fighter]]
[[Category:Imprisoned]]
[[Category:Conspirators]]
[[Category:Alt-right]]