Amazon blocks sales of Proud Boy merch featuring ‘stand back stand by’ slogan

President made remark during first presidential debate on Tuesday

Amazon and other online retailers have started blocking the sale of Proud Boy merchandise using Donald Trump’s “stand back and stand by” quote alongside the far-right group's insignia, a number of reports have said.

Shirts bearing the words "stand back" and "stand by" and the group's logo reportedly started appearing hours after the president used the phrase during the presidential debate on Tuesday when asked if he was willing to denounce violence committed by white nationalist groups.

The Proud Boys should "stand back and stand by," Mr Trump said, spurring some members of the group to seemingly interpret the remarks as an endorsement.

Amazon is now preventing sales of the items on its website, a spokesperson told The Independent.

"All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account. These products have been removed," an Amazon spokesperson said.

According to CBS News, t-shirts, buttons and stickers with the Proud Boys logo and the phrase were also available on eBay on Wednesday night but had been removed as of Thursday afternoon.

EBay did not immediately return a request from comment when contacted by The Independent.

The move comes just days after British clothing firm Fred Perry retired its black and yellow polo shirt, which had become an unofficial uniform for the group.

Mr Trump shifted course on Wednesday, saying he did not know who the Proud Boys were and repeating his call for them to “stand down”.

“I’ve always denounced any form. Any form of any of that you, have to denounce,” he said.  “But Joe Biden needs to say something about Antifa. … Now, Antifa is a real problem. … Biden refuses to talk about it.”

The group, identified by the Southern Poverty Law Centre as a hate group, has embraced white nationalism and espoused fascist views, including anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric, often turning to violence.