The police closely monitored a gathering of several hundred individuals associated with the Patriot Front white nationalist movement, who were wearing masks, during their procession through the National Mall in Washington D.C.
An estimated 200 participants reportedly joined the march, which took them around prominent landmarks such as the Washington Monument and other areas of the National Mall. These marchers concealed their identities with white masks and sunglasses, while carrying various items including shields, megaphones, upside-down American flags, and banners with slogans like “Reclaim America” and “Strong families make strong nations.”
Throughout the march, Metropolitan police officers accompanied the participants while counter-protesters voiced their opposition. The procession lasted approximately an hour, with no reported injuries or arrests. Afterwards, the marchers stored their props in U-Haul vans and departed via the metro, under the supervision of the officers who allowed them to proceed individually.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League, the Patriot Front is described as a white nationalist and pro-fascist movement advocating for the creation of a White ethnostate in America, based on a pan-European identity that excludes people of color from being recognized as Americans. The group originated from a split within the Vanguard America neo-Nazi organization, led by its founder Thomas Rousseau, following a disagreement after the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville.
Ford Fischer, Editor-in-Chief of News2Share, explained that the Patriot Front typically adopts a strategy where they appear unannounced at other groups’ protests or hold their own demonstrations without seeking permits, in an effort to avoid attention from the press and counter-protesters. Simultaneously, they document themselves through videos to construct and promote their own narrative of the events they attend.
