Members of Patriot Front, a white nationalist group, marched in and around Washington, DC, on Saturday as the United States marked the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The group said more than 400 people took part in the demonstrations, according to information released following the event. Video footage circulating on social media showed participants marching in cadence through locations including New Carrollton, Maryland, and areas near the US Capitol, says A.
Marchers appeared in coordinated clothing consisting of khaki trousers, khaki baseball caps and dark blue shirts. Many participants covered their faces with white fabric masks and wore sunglasses.
The group carried US flags, drums and shields, while some participants displayed Confederate flags. Accompanied by drumbeats, marchers were heard chanting "Reclaim America."
Videos posted online also appeared to show participants using Washington's Metro rail system to travel between demonstration sites.
Patriot Front was formed in 2017 following the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, according to experts at George Washington University's Program on Extremism.
Experts have described the organisation as a fascist movement seeking to establish a "white ethnostate" in the United States. On its website, the group calls for people of the "European race" to assert a right to "cultural independence."
The demonstrations drew criticism from political figures and commentators. Critics of President Donald Trump's administration have argued that its rhetoric has emboldened such groups, including through the promotion of conspiracy theories such as the "great replacement theory", which claims that white Christians are being intentionally replaced by minorities.
Trump has previously faced scrutiny over comments and associations related to far-right groups. In 2017, following violence at the Charlottesville rally, he said there were "very fine people on both sides". In 2022, he faced criticism after hosting white nationalist Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago.
More recently, Trump faced accusations of racism over a video post on Truth Social depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, although the White House said the post had been made by a staff member.
Senator Ed Markey condemned Saturday's demonstration, saying that "hatred and bigotry have no place here" and urging other officials to speak out against the march.
Patriot Front / White Nationalist
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