The white nationalist group Patriot Front held marches in Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas on July 4, Independence Day. Footage shared on social media showed men in khaki pants, khaki baseball caps, and navy blue T-shirts descending escalators into metro stations and boarding trains.
Group members later marched in formation at points in the capital region such as New Carrollton, Maryland, and in front of the US Capitol. Some demonstrators carried American flags, drums, and shields, while a small number waved Confederate flags. The Confederacy had attempted to secede from the US in 1861 to preserve slavery, starting the American Civil War.
Patriot Front's Telegram channel announced that more than 400 white nationalists were expected to join Saturday's events. Throughout the day, the channel shared videos of marchers chanting 'Take America back' to the beat of drums. The group's website emphasized 'the right to cultural independence' with the phrase 'those born in this nation of our European race.'
Experts at George Washington University's Program on Extremism describe Patriot Front as a fascist organization dedicated to 'establishing a white ethno-state in the US.' Critics argue that President Donald Trump's administration has emboldened such groups by spreading false conspiracy theories like the great replacement theory.
According to experts, Patriot Front was founded after the 'Unite the Right' rally in August 2017. At that rally, white supremacists and neo-Nazis gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, and a white supremacist drove his car into counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer. At the time, Trump said, 'There were very bad people in that group, but there were also very fine people on both sides.'
Trump is frequently criticized for not forcefully rejecting the support of white nationalists. In 2022, he dined at his Mar-a-Lago home with musician Ye (formerly Kanye West) and white nationalist Nick Fuentes, and earlier this year he shared a video depicting former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama as monkeys.
Senator Ed Markey was among those calling for condemnation of Saturday's march. In a social media post, Markey said, 'We cannot remain silent as white nationalists march in our nation's capital. From Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., hate and bigotry have no place here.'
