Philadelphia, PA, July 6, 2021 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) of Philadelphia condemned the white supremacist march. The previously unannounced flash demonstration, which took place in front of City Hall over the 4th of July weekend, was organized by the extremist group Patriot Front.
On July 3, dozens of members of Patriot Front, a Texas-based white supremacist group with members from all over the country, marched in downtown Philadelphia under the guise of “Reclaim America.”
“The ability of a white supremacist group to get dozens of people to show up and march is significant, but this tactic is not new for Patriot Front,” ADL Philadelphia Regional Director Shira Goodman said. “Holding an event on Independence Day is typical of Patriot Front, as they present their blend of white supremacist and neo-fascist ideology as patriotism.”
Patriot Front held a similar-sized flash demonstration in Washington, D.C., in January 2020.
According to ADL’s Center on Extremism, Patriot Front used moving trucks to get large groups of members into the area for the march – a method they have employed since at least 2019. The goal of this practice is to quickly hold surprise demonstrations while avoiding confrontations with law enforcement or counter-protesters. Without outside interference, they can create and control the event’s narrative and share images and video across social media.
So far in 2021, Patriot Front is on track to match the number of events they held last year, ADL’s Center on Extremism reports. The group recently received media attention in several states after murals and busts honoring the legacies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and George Floyd were defaced with Patriot Front stickers and graffiti. Patriot Front used social media to claim responsibility for some of the vandalism.
“In contrast to these cowardly white supremacists, who hide under the cover of night to spread their message of hate, the people of Philadelphia stand together to shine a bright light against bigotry.The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection once again speaks in a united, clear and forceful voice to say that we celebrate diversity, embrace difference and reject hate.”
More information on Patriot Front
· Thomas Rousseau, who is believed to have attended the Philadelphia march, has been the leader of Patriot Front since its formation after the August 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
· A splinter group from the neo-Nazi Vanguard America, Patriot Front has tried to move away from their neo-Nazi roots. In 2018, they discontinued the use of antisemitism in their propaganda and eventually stopped using their BloodandSoil URL. They avoid traditional white supremacist language and symbols, leaning instead on ambiguous, “patriotic” phrases such as America First, United We Stand, Reclaim America and Life Liberty Victory.
· Patriot Front uses propaganda to target their perceived enemies – whether it is a flier left at a Black church, a sticker at an LGBTQ community center or graffiti defacing an MLK mural.
· In 2020, Patriot Front was responsible for approximately 80% of the white supremacist propaganda (more than 4100 incidents) recorded by ADL’s Center on Extremism.
· ADL’s Center on Extremism expects Patriot Front to continue to distribute propaganda, hold periodic flash demonstrations and use social media to share and spread their views. We may see a slight uptick in activity as communities nationwide continue to ease COVID restrictions.