Amazon, other online retailers block sale of ‘stand back’ and ‘stand by’ merchandise

Amazon and other online retailers have pulled merchandise featuring the phrases “stand back” and “stand by,” expressions now associated with the Proud Boys after U.S. President Donald Trump addressed them directly during Tuesday’s first of three presidential debates.

“All sellers must follow our selling guidelines, and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account,” an Amazon spokesperson told CNN Business, confirming that the products have been removed.

In addition to the words, the blocked merchandise also displayed the insignia of the Proud Boys, a far-right, all-male group of self-described “western chauvinists,” who view themselves as a fraternal group spreading an “anti-political correctness” and “anti-white guilt” agenda.

According to CBS News, the items appeared on online marketplaces following Trump’s comments, including Teespring, an online platform that “lets users create and sell their own merchandise.”

Teespring confirmed to the network that it has removed all associated products from its platform.

“It has come to our attention that content promoting hate and violence has been circulating on Teespring,” the retailer told CBS MoneyWatch. “We have no interest in profiting off hate or violence, and in this case we immediately removed the designs as they violate our policies.”

Meanwhile, T-shirts, buttons and stickers emblazoned with the Proud Boys logo and phrases such as “standing by” and “Stand back and Stand by” surfaced on eBay Wednesday night but were removed – without comment – by Thursday, CBS News reported.

British clothier Fred Perry already pulled its signature line of black polos with yellow trim from the U.S. market recently because of its growing association with the Proud Boys as the group’s unofficial uniform, noting sales of the item will not resume in the United States and Canada “until we’re satisfied that its association with the Proud Boys has ended.”

Cox Media Group