White Nationalists March in Washington Amid 250th Anniversary Celebrations

By Clarence Williams, Madaleine Rubin and Alan Feuer, The New York Times

The group, wearing clothing associated with the organization Patriot Front, assembled near Capitol Hill before leaving the district.

A large group of masked men wearing the markings of a well-known white nationalist group marched with flags and chanted “reclaim America!” in Washington on Saturday morning, as the capital city prepared for the main events celebrating the United States’ 250th birthday.

The march, through neighborhoods around the U.S. Capitol, was brief, though bystanders posted scores of videos on social media. The group left the city sometime before 11 a.m., the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement.

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Patriot Front, which has long called for the United States to be turned into a white ethno-state, has a history of staging high-profile demonstrations, almost always in the same uniform of dark shirts, khaki pants, work boots and white face masks.

“This definitely looks like Patriot Front,” said Mary McCord, a former assistant attorney general for national security under presidents Obama and Trump. She said the logo on their hats, which includes imagery resembling fascist symbols of Italy in the 1930s, was consistent with the group, as was the clothing.

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