The far-right Patriot Front group took to the streets of DC to march towards the US Capitol in the latest appearance of the white nationalist front.
About 200 people marched along the National Mall on Saturday, flanked by police to separate the extremists from a group of counter-protesters.
According to its website, the group says its “activism” aims to assert “cultural independence” based on “our European race”.
The Patriot Front made headlines last month as it descended on SatanCon in Boston, where the “largest satanic gathering in history” saw furious clashes between far-right activists and religious fanatics. .
The far-right Patriot Front group took to the streets of DC on Saturday
About 200 people advanced along the National Mall
The group donned their usual attire of beige khaki pants and navy shirts, complete with white face masks and sunglasses to hide their identities.
A small number of counter-protesters gathered nearby, while white nationalists could be heard chanting, “Life, liberty and victory.”
Large American flags, megaphones and shields were also seen en masse at the protest. It is unclear whether the men were armed as they descended on the town, and there are currently no reports of injuries or arrests.
Reports say the group was escorted to the National Mall by police to ward off extremists from counter-protesters, who shouted at the mask-wearing activists as they marched through the city.
After walking through the Capitol for about an hour, the men were then seen putting their American flags and shields into white U-Haul vans.
The fanatics were then seen being escorted by police to a nearby train station, where officers blocked the entrance to the public to allow the group to enter the subway unhindered.
In a video posted on Telegram, a member of the Patriot Front leaving the march said it was a “good protest” and that the activists “kept tight and kept in formation”.
“Put simply, we will be back,” he added in a chilling warning.
The group donned their usual attire of beige khaki pants and navy shirts, complete with white face masks and sunglasses to hide their identities.
Large US flags, megaphones and shields were seen en masse at the protest
We could hear the white nationalists chanting: “Life, freedom and victory”
A small number of counter-protesters were blocked by the police
Saturday’s appearance is the latest of several events the group has held in DC, having previously held a parallel counter-march to the 2022 “March for Life.”
It’s unclear what prompted the extremists to march on Capitol Hill, but the group says its activism is fueled by the belief that “America will be free from tyrannical rule.”
A leader of the group previously said in a podcast in July 2022 that the organization aims to “make the men who will make the nation”.
“We are creating an organization that can become a legitimate rule-making body…our ideology demands that we stand for something,” he added.
Members regularly graffiti and place stickers on structures across the country, and he says Massachusetts and Texas are the hardest hit regions.
The group regularly joins other protest groups unannounced and reportedly aims to avoid counter-protests by holding events without permits or outside press.
The extremist group previously descended on Boston to protest SatanCon, pictured April 29, 2023
White nationalist group Patriot Front seen clashing with counter-protesters outside the event
When SatanCon started in Boston last month, white nationalists joined irate religious protesters outside the event.
Billed as “the largest satanic gathering in history”, the event was heavily disrupted by protests.
Patriot Front members were seen brandishing crucifixes at the Satanists as they formed a blockade outside the conference.