Hundreds of masked men carrying banners, including the Confederate flag, marched through Washington DC on the Fourth of July, the 250th anniversary of the US’s inception.
The group appeared to be led by Thomas Rousseau, founder of the neo-fascist, white supremacist organization Patriot Front. Members of the group wore white masks and gathered in front of DC’s Union Station. They later marched towards Capitol Hill, WTOP reported.
Members chanted “Life, liberty, victory!” and “Reclaim America!” during the Saturday demonstration, according to video posted on social media.
Images published by Reuters also showed masked members riding the DC Metro as other riders looked on warily.
The white supremacist group’s gathering attracted some counterprotesters. In one video, a man with a bullhorn shouted at Patriot Front members: “Every single one of you justifies the fucking right to abortion.”
In a comment shared with Politico on Saturday’s march, DC’s Metropolitan police department said it was “tracking first amendment activities that occurred this morning in the Eastern Market neighborhood”, adding: “MPD recognizes the rights of individuals to peacefully express their views and remains committed to maintaining public safety and security for DC residents and visitors.”
Asked about white nationalists marching in Washington, the US secretary of the interior, Doug Burgum, told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that “what they stand for is nothing … I could possibly agree with – but one of the foundational principles of the United States which makes democracy messy is free speech”.
Members of Patriot Front were last seen marching during the Memorial Day weekend at the Virginia Beach oceanfront, local affiliate 13News Now reported.
Patriot Front was founded in 2017 following the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The neo-fascist hate group has gained visibility over the years as those connected to white supremacy organizations have been widely embraced by the Trump administration.
In 2022, an expert on extremists groups told the Guardian that Patriot Front’s fundraising and mobilizing efforts resembled those of a media production company.
“No other white supremacist group operating in the US today is able to match Patriot Front’s ability to produce media, ability to mobilize across the country and ability to finance,” Morgan Moon, an investigative researcher with the ADL Center on Extremism, said. “That’s what makes them a particular concern.”
Most recently, Patriot Front’s leader claimed to be a part of relief efforts following deadly flooding in central Texas last year.
Saturday’s march comes as Trump condemned a supposed “communist menace” in America in a deeply partisan speech to kick off celebrations of the US’s 250th birthday. The White House did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment about if Trump condemns the latest march.
