Hundreds of members of the "Patriot Front," a white nationalist group, marched masked through Washington streets on Saturday, just ahead of divisive Independence Day celebrations.
The group announced on social media that they arrived in the U.S. capital with about 400 members, and news agency photographers documented hundreds donning "Patriot Front" attire as they boarded Washington Metro trains.
Videos posted on various social media platforms showed the group marching to the beat of drums near the Capitol building, dressed in khaki pants, hats, and blue shirts, and sporting white face masks and sunglasses.
Many carried the group’s flag and variations of the American flag, chanting "Reclaim America."
A Washington police spokesperson stated that the authorities are monitoring the "Patriot Front" activities, adding that there are no reports of arrests, complaints, or assistance requests related to the group’s rally.
The spokesperson mentioned, "The Metropolitan Police Department recognizes individuals' right to peacefully express their views and remains committed to maintaining public safety and security for the city's residents and visitors."
The "Patriot Front," recognized for its distinctive outfits, masks, and surprise demonstrations, was formed in 2017 following the deadly "Unite the Right" rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, having split from the white supremacist group "Vanguard America," which was central to those events.
A statement on the "Patriot Front" website reads: "Democracy has failed this great nation, and there is a need for a radical reset to return to the traditions and values of our ancestors," referring to them as "European settlers."
John Cohen, who held various counter-terrorism and intelligence roles at the Department of Homeland Security under former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, says the "Patriot Front" strives to present itself as a mainstream movement while simultaneously promoting "ideological belief systems advocating white supremacy and anti-immigrant sentiments."
Cohen added, according to comments reported by Reuters, "Their ability to participate in public demonstrations during Independence Day and other national holidays starkly illustrates the challenges currently facing the country regarding white supremacy."
Similarly, Luke Baumgartner, a researcher at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, notes, "While the group’s symbolism attempts to invoke patriotism through the red, white, and blue colors of the American flag, their emblem uses imagery similar to those of fascism from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s."
Baumgartner added, "At its core, it is indeed an organization that believes in white supremacy, primarily campaigning through this public visibility, whether through sudden rallies, leaflet distributions, protests, or banner drops on highways, in an effort to spread the message that America is a country of and for white people only."