Over the weekend, videos circulated on social media showing hundreds of members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front marching to the United States Capitol with shields and battle drums.
At least 150 members of the far-right group, wearing masks to conceal their identity, were seen carrying American flags and signs reading “Reclaim America.” Police officers were seen escorting the Patriot Front members to separate them from counter-protesters.
The march occurred amidst a warning from experts about the increase of white supremacist groups and sentiment in the United States.
According to a study from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) published in March, there was a 38% increase in white supremacist activity from 2021 to 2022, with more than 6,700 incidents reported throughout the year.
The ADL describes the Patriot Front as a white supremacist group that believes their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it to them, and no one else.
The organization was founded in Texas in 2017 by Thomas Rousseau and has since been involved in a number of right-wing demonstrations, including the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
They spread propaganda through the internet, fliers, and posters and have been responsible for most of the white supremacist propaganda in recent years.
