Hundreds of masked members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front march through parts of Washington, D.C., on Saturday ahead of July Fourth Independence Day festivities planned for the evening, multiple outlets report. Forbes describes participants wearing outfits associated with Patriot Front. Reuters, as cited by several sources, reports that the group posted on social media that it arrived in the capital with about 400 members, and that Reuters photographers observed the march.
The demonstrations occur in the context of public criticism of some Independence Day events as divisive, according to the Reuters-based reporting. NPR adds additional background on the group, noting that the presence of masked demonstrators can obscure details about who they are and how they are funded.
Across the coverage, the march is consistently characterized as a Patriot Front action in the nation’s capital involving masked participants and Patriot Front-associated clothing, with the event timed to coincide with the lead-up to July Fourth celebrations.
