White nationalist group Patriot Front marched through Washington DC ahead of Independence Day

Many were carrying the group's flag, Confederate flags, and variations of the US flag, at times chanting "Reclaim America."

A passenger looks on as members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front ride the Washington Metro on July 04, 2026 in Washington, DC.

(photo credit: Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

ByREUTERS

JULY 5, 2026 08:33

Updated: JULY 5, 2026 10:35

Hundreds of masked individuals affiliated with the white nationalist organization Patriot Front marched through sections of Washington, DC, on Saturday before Independence Day celebrations that have faced criticism for promoting division.

The group announced on social media platforms that roughly 400 members had reached the capital, while Reuters photographers observed numerous participants in Patriot Front attire riding DC Metro trains.

Clips shared across social media and on the group's Telegram channel depicted the marchers moving near the US Capitol and Union Station with drummers, all clad in khaki pants, caps, blue shirts, white face coverings, and sunglasses.

Many carried the organization's flag, Confederate flags, and altered versions of the US flag, periodically shouting "Reclaim America."

Around midday the group boarded Metro trains and departed at New Carrollton, Maryland, located in the northeast suburbs of Washington.

Patriot Front formed after Charlottesville's 'Unite the Right' rally

Washington's Metropolitan Police monitored Patriot Front's "First Amendment" activities, according to a spokesperson, who noted no arrests, complaints, or requests for help linked to the march.

"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," the spokesperson said.

Patriot Front, recognized for its coordinated uniforms, face masks, and sudden demonstrations, originated in 2017 following the fatal "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, as a splinter from the Vanguard America white supremacist group central to that event, per the Southern Poverty Law Center.

A 'hard reset' demanded, 'democracy has failed this once great nation'

A statement on Patriot Front's website declares that "Democracy has failed this once great nation" and calls for a "hard reset" to restore the traditions and virtues of European settler forefathers.

Patriot Front seeks to present itself as mainstream while advancing white supremacist and anti-immigrant views, according to John Cohen, a former counterterrorism and intelligence official at the Homeland Security Department under the Obama and Biden administrations.

"The fact that they feel empowered to engage in public demonstrations during Independence Day and other national holiday events provides a stark illustration of the issues this country is dealing with at this time as it relates to white supremacy," Cohen said.

Luke Baumgartner, a research fellow at George Washington University's Program on Extremism, noted that while the group's imagery draws on patriotic red, white, and blue elements, its logo echoes the "fascio" symbol of Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party in Italy during the 1920s through 1940s.

"At the root, they are indeed a white supremacist organization that is basically campaigning through these public appearances, whether they are flash marches, flyering events, protests, banner drops over highways, trying to spread this message that America is a country by and for white people only," Baumgartner said.