Demonstrators donning the logo and insignia of Patriot Front, a white supremacist group, were seen protesting in the Eastern Market neighborhood and on Capitol Hill on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
Sporting white masks, sunglasses and Patriot Front’s signature tan caps, the protesters carried Confederate, Patriot Front and upside-down U.S. flags as they marched through Capitol Hill. The group was also photographed riding public transit on Saturday morning.
Outside Union Station, demonstrators chanted phrases including “Life, liberty, victory!” and “Reclaim America!” — slogans regularly used by the group.
The demonstration unfolded as tourists and Americans alike flocked to the “Salute to America” celebration on the National Mall, which will culminate in a speech by President Donald Trump and a fireworks show expected to last for a record-breaking 40 minutes. The Trump administration has made the nation’s 250th anniversary a top priority over the past few months through high-profile initiatives like the Great American State Fair and restoration work at the Reflecting Pool.
Later, anti-Trump demonstrators were filmed walking toward the White House carrying a large Declaration of Independence banner and chanting “8647,” a slogan calling for Trump’s removal from the presidency.
Patriot Front was founded in 2017 by Thomas Ryan Rousseau, who split from the alt-right organization Vanguard America in the aftermath of the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Patriot Front’s website describes the group as a “fraternal, nationalist, activist organization” and writes that “Our people, born to this nation of our European race, must reforge themselves as a new collective capable of asserting our right to cultural independence.”
The D.C. mayor’s office referred POLITICO to the Metropolitan police department for comment.
“The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is tracking First Amendment activities that occurred this morning in the Eastern Market neighborhood,” the department said in a statement Saturday. “MPD recognizes the rights of individuals to peacefully express their views and remains committed to maintaining public safety and security for DC residents and visitors.”
Gregory Svirnovskiy contributed to this report.