American white nationalist group
Patriot Front
is an American
white supremacist
and
neo-fascist
hate group
.
[7]
Part of the broader
alt-right
movement, the group split off from the
neo-Nazi
organization
Vanguard America
in the aftermath of the
Unite the Right rally
in 2017.
[1]
[8]
[9]
[10]
Patriot Front's aesthetic combines traditional
Americana
with
fascist symbolism
. Internal communications within the group indicated it had approximately 200 members as of late 2021.
[11]
According to the
Anti-Defamation League
, the group generated 82% of reported incidents in 2021 involving distribution of
racist
,
antisemitic
, and other hateful propaganda in the United States, comprising 3,992 incidents, in every continental state.
[12]
History and beliefs
[
edit
]
Patriot Front is led by Thomas Ryan Rousseau, who was a teenager when he founded the group. In 2017, Rousseau took control of Vanguard America's web and
Discord
server several weeks before the
Unite the Right rally
in
Charlottesville, Virginia
, in which he participated as the leader of Vanguard America's contingent. Following the bad press arising from the rally, Rousseau left Vanguard. He used the group's domain name to form Patriot Front as a new group and recruit rally participants, though most of Patriot Front's members were former Vanguard members.
[1]
Rousseau has been arrested repeatedly in the group's activities.
[13]
[14]
[15]
As with Vanguard America, Patriot Front supports a version of white-centered ideology compatible with the views of
fascists across America
, such as closed borders and
authoritarian
government. According to the
Anti-Defamation League
(ADL), "Patriot Front is a white supremacist group whose members maintain that their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it to them, and no one else."
[1]
The group uses patriotic imagery to broaden its appeal while adding symbols like the
fasces
, the symbol of
fascism
. It uses attention-grabbing techniques like igniting
smoke bombs
during demonstrations and protests.
[1]
According to the
Southern Poverty Law Center
(SPLC), "Patriot Front focuses on theatrical rhetoric and activism that can be easily distributed as propaganda for its chapters across the country."
[16]
The group published a manifesto which contained passages including: "Those of foreign birth may occupy civil status within the lands occupied by the state, and they may even be dutiful citizens, yet they may not be American. Membership within the American nation is inherited through blood, not ink. Even those born in America may yet be foreign...Nationhood cannot be bestowed upon those who are not of the founding stock of our people, and those who do not share the common spirit that permeates our greater civilization, and the European diaspora...In order to survive as a culture, a heritage, and a way of being, our nation must learn that its collective interests are fighting against its collective threats of replacement and enslavement...The damage done to this nation and its people will not be fixed if every issue requires the approval and blessing from the dysfunctional American democratic system. Democracy has failed in this once great nation."
[17]
[18]
The group's members consist of eight regional networks, and its recruitment is primarily done online. The group avoids talking about guns or violence online as a policy.
A 2019 investigation by ProPublica estimated the group had about 300 members;
[19]
in leaked chats at the end of 2021, Rousseau complained about a "220's to 230's membership rut".
[11]
According to the SPLC, as of 2021, Patriot Front had 42 chapters with an average of 11 members per chapter and was arguably the leading white supremacist group in the country, and the most active in using flyers for recruitment.
[20]
[21]
According to ProPublica, Rousseau and others in the group "delight in seeing their actions reflected in the SPLC's nationwide map recording acts of hate and in the media".
[19]
Activities and events
[
edit
]
Patriot Front's demonstrations, literature, and sometimes acts of service are "tightly choreographed and scripted to maximize propaganda value", according to the SPLC.
[16]
The ADL estimated that Patriot Front generated 82% of reported incidents of distributing racist, antisemitic and other hateful propaganda in the U.S. during 2021, and 80% in 2020.
[12]
[22]
According to leaked chats made public in January 2022, Patriot Front members are required to deface racial justice murals in their areas.
[11]
2018
[
edit
]
On July 28, members of Patriot Front marched on an
Occupy ICE
protest in
San Antonio, Texas
, and filmed themselves vandalizing protestors' tents and signs.
[23]
[24]
2019
[
edit
]
On February 13, hundreds of racist and anti-immigrant signs and flyers were taped up in the
East Boston
section of
Boston
,
Massachusetts
, an area with many immigrants. Patriot Front claimed responsibility. Boston mayor
Marty Walsh
denounced the incident. On February 15, Boston police arrested three Patriot Front members; two faced charges of carrying weapons, and one was charged with assault on a police officer after allegedly slapping an officer's hand.
[25]
[26]
[27]
[28]
[29]
2020
[
edit
]
On February 8, about 100 Patriot Front members marched in
Washington, D.C.
, along the
National Mall
from the
Lincoln Memorial
to the
US Capitol
grounds, and then headed north to a
Walmart
near
Washington Union Station
. The marchers wore khakis, matching dark blue jackets, hats, full white face masks, and dark sunglasses, and carried various modified versions of the American flag with the Patriot Front logo.
[30]
[31]
In August, during protests and counter-protests in
Weatherford, Texas
, over a
Confederate statue
, police arrested three men including Rousseau who had plastered stickers on signs, parks and property. They were charged with criminal mischief, jailed on a $500 bond and released.
[32]
[33]
2021
[
edit
]
On January 29, a group of men wearing khaki pants, matching blue jackets with patches, and white face masks marched on the National Mall toward the US Capitol carrying flags with Patriot Front symbolism.
[34]
On February 28, seven members of the Patriot Front, including Rousseau, were involved in a car crash. One of the men, 20-year-old Kevin J. Bersuch, died at the scene. Rousseau was seriously injured and needed emergency surgery, including receiving an implant to stabilize his spine. Despite this, the Patriot Front never acknowledged that the crash happened. The driver had been speeding.
[35]
On July 10, two members were arrested for vandalism after being accused of spray-painting graffiti in
Salem, Massachusetts
.
[36]
On December 4, more than 100 members of Patriot Front held a rally in downtown Washington, D.C., chanting "reclaim America", carrying flags and plastic shields and wearing uniforms consisting of white gaiters, sunglasses, blue jackets, khaki pants, brown boots and hats. Some wore plastic shin guards.
[37]
2022
[
edit
]
In January, members of Patriot Front were seen at the
2022 March for Life
anti-abortion
rally in Washington, D.C.
[38]
On June 11, police arrested 31 members of Patriot Front they stopped inside a
U-Haul
truck near an
LGBT Pride
event in
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
. They were charged with conspiracy to riot. Rousseau was one of the members arrested.
[39]
[15]
An anonymous caller tipped off police when they saw the group of men climbing into a U-Haul after retrieving shields from the back of a truck.
[40]
The
Kootenai County
Sheriff's Office released the mugshots and names of all 31 arrested, who were from at least 11 states.
[41]
[42]
After the arrests, the Coeur d'Alene police chief said the police department received death and
doxxing
threats.
[43]
By June 13, all 31 members were released on bail.
[44]
Court documents stated police had recovered a typed document that detailed the group's goal and planning for the day.
[40]
As of February 2023
[update]
, one member had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to riot (he was fined $500 and sentenced to two years of
unsupervised probation
), three members
failed to appear
thus had
bench warrants
issued, and various others had jury trials scheduled.
[45]
Rousseau was granted a
continuance
, with his pre-trial appearance moved from May to September 2023.
[46]
Five group members were convicted of misdemeanor conspiracy to riot on July 20, 2023 and the next day sentenced to five days in jail, credited for two days already served, plus $1,000 fines and one year of probation.
[47]
[48]
On July 2, about 100 masked members with shields and a banner marched through Boston, with stops at the
Boston Public Library
and
Old State House
building.
[49]
[50]
[51]
Police said one man was injured in a confrontation with Patriot Front members.
[52]
2023
[
edit
]
In April, the group protested at the "
SatanCon
" event of
The Satanic Temple
, held in Boston.
[53]
In May, the group marched at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
[54]
[55]
Five members of the group filed a federal lawsuit in June against an alleged leftist activist they said had infiltrated the group and publicly disclosed their identities?the plaintiffs alleged they lost jobs, incomes and family relationships as a result.
[56]
Two members had been arrested in connection with the 2022 conspiracy to riot at a pride event in Coeur d'Alene; one was subsequently convicted and sentenced for his role.
[47]
2024
[
edit
]
On April 27 in
Charleston, West Virginia
, about 100 Patriot Front members exited U-Haul trucks in Daniel Boone Park and marched to the capitol building in front of the statue of
Stonewall Jackson
located on Kanawha Boulevard and California Street. The group carried numerous Patriot Front flags and a banner and members chanted and attempted to hand out propaganda fliers. They wore white masks to obscure their faces, khaki pants, dark blue polo shirts, and hats. Many included sunglasses with their uniforms. The Charleston Police Department remained close by to ensure the people of Charleston's safety and the march ended without incident. This demonstration happened on the same day that
YWCA
Charleston hosted a Race to End Racism event. Charleston's mayor,
Amy Goodwin
, responded to the unexpected demonstration by noting, "It is important for our community to celebrate coming together and stand up against hate. When our city team learned of a national hate group demonstrating earlier today, we acted quickly and appropriately to make sure all in our community remained safe."
[57]
Leaked online chats
[
edit
]
On January 21, 2022,
Unicorn Riot
, a left-wing nonprofit media organization, published more than 400 gigabytes of leaked audio files, chat logs, documents, photographs and videos from Patriot Front's chat server.
[11]
[58]
The leak revealed the group's efforts to recruit new members and increase its public profile through private communications on
Rocket.chat
, an open-source messaging platform.
[59]
The chat logs showed the group struggled to expand membership, often reprimanding members for not meeting fitness and participation requirements, according to
The Guardian
. In a conversation with Patriot Front "lieutenants" on December 14, 2021, Rousseau wrote, "We are absolutely desperate for new people. We've been in the 220's to 230's membership rut for nearly a full year."
[11]
[60]
The communications revealed the group attempted to inflate its membership numbers and importance; outlined plans to spread misinformation about public events on social media sites, such as
Twitter
,
Reddit
and
4chan
, and send deceptive news tips to journalists at traditional media outlets; and detailed notes of interviews with potential members.
[11]
The leak also included media of members training, vandalizing, and demonstrating; Rousseau at a 2021
American Renaissance
conference; and Patriot Front's guides to behavior.
[61]
In August 2023, five Patriot Front affiliated individuals filed a lawsuit against an alleged member of the
Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club
for the infiltration, demanding punitive damages and claiming the disclosure of their identities cost them their jobs.
[62]
False flag conspiracies
[
edit
]
In May 2023, some commentators, including
Joe Rogan
, suggested without evidence that the organization was an
FBI
sting operation
or
false flag
by
Antifa
.
[63]
[64]
Such claims have been debunked as
conspiracy theories
,
[63]
and labelled as "False" by fact-checkers
Snopes
.
[65]
In December 2023,
X
(formerly Twitter) owner
Elon Musk
contributed to the speculation, replying to a user who described the group as "Fed Front" and echoing the user's question as to why group members who were arrested did not have their masks removed by police.
[66]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
"Patriot Front"
.
ADL
.
Archived
from the original on December 23, 2017
. Retrieved
December 23,
2017
.
- ^
"Rise Above Movement (R.A.M.)"
.
- ^
"White Supremacist "Patriot Front" Rally Exposes Splits On The Far-Right"
.
Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right
. June 20, 2022.
- ^
"A group of notorious white nationalists met secretly in historic Lancaster County barn in 2020. Why here?"
.
Lancaster Online
. June 20, 2022.
- ^
"Active Club Network"
.
Anti-Defamation League
.
- ^
Henry, Chris (November 4, 2018).
"Nazi symbol seen on Olympic College campus protected as free speech"
.
Kitsap Sun
.
Archived
from the original on December 14, 2018
. Retrieved
December 14,
2018
.
Patriot Front's current website is patriotfront.us.
- ^
Multiple sources:
- ^
"Meet 'Patriot Front': Neo-Nazi network aims to blur lines with militiamen, the alt-right"
.
Southern Poverty Law Center
.
Archived
from the original on December 23, 2017
. Retrieved
December 23,
2017
.
- ^
Roman, Gabriel San (December 13, 2017).
"New Fascist Group Appeared at Laguna Beach Anti-Immigrant Rally"
.
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.
Archived
from the original on December 24, 2017
. Retrieved
December 23,
2017
.
- ^
McNamara, Neal (November 20, 2017).
"White Nationalist Group Targets Bellevue, Gig Harbor"
.
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.
Archived
from the original on December 24, 2017
. Retrieved
December 23,
2017
.
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a
b
c
d
e
f
Olmos, Sergio (January 28, 2022).
"
'We are desperate for new people': inside a hate group's leaked online chats"
.
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. Retrieved
January 28,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Yang, Maya (March 4, 2022).
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.
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. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
Johnson, Kaley; Ranker, Luke (October 31, 2018).
"Alt-right leader cited for hate speech posters in Fort Worth, police say"
.
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.
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from the original on September 25, 2020
. Retrieved
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2020
.
- ^
Johnson, Kaley (August 4, 2020).
"Leader of white nationalist hate group, 2 others arrested in Weatherford"
.
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.
Archived
from the original on August 5, 2020
. Retrieved
August 5,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
Parker, Nick; Pietsch, Brian (June 11, 2022).
"31 tied to hate group charged with planning riot near Idaho Pride event"
.
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.
ISSN
0190-8286
. Retrieved
June 12,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Patriot Front"
.
Southern Poverty Law Center
. December 21, 2018.
Archived
from the original on December 22, 2018.
- ^
Syed, Maleeha.
"Behind the manifesto: What does the Patriot Front actually believe?"
.
The Burlington Free Press
.
- ^
"Patriot Front"
.
Southern Poverty Law Center
.
- ^
a
b
Schaeffer, Carol (November 8, 2019).
"They Are Racist; Some of Them Have Guns. Inside the White Supremacist Group Hiding in Plain Sight"
.
ProPublica
.
Archived
from the original on July 6, 2020
. Retrieved
January 30,
2021
.
- ^
Pradelli, Chad (July 9, 2021).
"After march on Independence Mall, many are asking: What is Patriot Front?"
.
6abc Philadelphia
. Retrieved
August 1,
2021
.
- ^
Bates, Lydia; Gale, Tracey (February 1, 2021).
"Flyering Remains a Recruitment Tool for Hate Groups"
.
Southern Poverty Law Center
. Retrieved
August 1,
2021
.
- ^
"Texas-Based Hate Group Linked to 80% of White Supremacist Propaganda Nationwide in 2020"
.
KXAS-TV
Dallas-Fort Worth. March 19, 2021.
- ^
"Patriot Front"
.
Southern Poverty Law Center
. Retrieved
May 14,
2022
.
- ^
Sauers, Camille (July 30, 2018).
"Texas Neo-Nazi Group Attacks San Antonio's Occupy ICE Encampment"
.
San Antonio Current
.
Archived
from the original on August 29, 2018
. Retrieved
December 21,
2018
.
- ^
Bookman, Kimberly (February 15, 2019).
"Boston couple takes action after anti-immigrant signs are plastered all over neighborhood"
.
WHDH
.
Archived
from the original on October 28, 2020
. Retrieved
April 4,
2019
.
- ^
Haynes, Crystal (February 15, 2019).
"Residents remove anti-immigrant posters put up in Boston"
.
Boston 25 News
.
- ^
"Arrests made in connection with racist flyers placed in neighborhood"
.
WCVB/ABC News
. February 16, 2019.
Archived
from the original on April 4, 2019
. Retrieved
April 4,
2019
.
- ^
Horman, Nate (February 19, 2019).
"Three suspects arraigned on charges of weapons possession and assaulting an officer: BPD"
.
- ^
Tempera, Jacqueline (February 19, 2019).
"Attorney for one of the men accused of posting propaganda for white nationalist group Patriot Front around East Boston says it was just 'youthful stupidity'
"
.
- ^
Lawder, David (February 8, 2020). Gregorio, David (ed.).
"Masked white nationalists march in Washington with police escort"
.
Reuters
.
Archived
from the original on October 28, 2020
. Retrieved
May 18,
2020
.
- ^
Boykin, Nick (February 8, 2020).
"White Nationalist march in DC near Union Station on Saturday"
.
WUSA
TV, channel 9
. Washington, D.C.
Archived
from the original on October 28, 2020
. Retrieved
February 9,
2020
.
- ^
Johnson, Kaley (August 3, 2020).
"Leader of White Nationalisf Hate Group, 2 Others Arrested in Texas"
.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
. Archived from
the original
on March 23, 2021.
- ^
Griffey, Eric (August 5, 2020).
"White Supremacists Arrested in Weatherford"
.
spectrumlocalnews.com
. Retrieved
July 7,
2022
.
- ^
Williams, Elliot C.
"White Supremacist Group Patriot Front Seen Marching Through D.C. Friday Morning"
.
dcist
.
Archived
from the original on January 29, 2021
. Retrieved
January 29,
2021
.
- ^
"Patriot Front Leader Involved in Fatal Utah Car Crash"
.
Southern Poverty Law Center
. Retrieved
December 22,
2023
.
- ^
McGrath, Cassie (July 12, 2021).
"White nationalist group Patriot Front linked to men accused of spraying graffiti at Salem MBTA station"
.
masslive.com
. Retrieved
April 3,
2023
.
- ^
Montgomery, Blake; Petrizzo, Zachary (December 5, 2021).
"White Supremacists Stage Bizarro Rally in Downtown D.C., Find Themselves Stranded"
.
The Daily Beast
. Retrieved
December 6,
2021
.
- ^
Sherman, Renee Bracey
; Winstead, Lizz (January 24, 2022).
"Why these white supremacists had so much fun at March For Life"
.
NBC News
. Retrieved
January 25,
2022
.
- ^
"Idaho police near Pride event arrest Patriot Front extremists on riot charges"
.
The Guardian
.
Associated Press
. June 11, 2022
. Retrieved
June 11,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Smith, Amanda (June 14, 2022).
"Court documents shed light on events surrounding arrest of 31 Patriot Front members in Coeur d'Alene"
.
KHQ
.
- ^
Owen, Tess (June 14, 2022).
"Everything We Know About the 31 Patriot Front Members Arrested in a U-Haul"
.
www.vice.com
. Retrieved
June 14,
2022
.
- ^
Whitehurst, Lindsay; Metz, Sam (June 12, 2022).
"Patriot Front leader among those arrested near Idaho Pride"
.
AP NEWS
. Retrieved
June 15,
2022
.
- ^
Madani, Doha (June 13, 2022).
"Idaho officers getting death threats after arresting 31 Patriot Front white nationalists near Pride event"
.
NBC News
. Retrieved
June 14,
2022
.
- ^
Woodruff, Judy (June 13, 2022).
"News Wrap: Patriot Front members free on bail after arrest at Idaho LGBTQ event"
. PBS.
- ^
Webb, John (February 27, 2023).
"UPDATE on Patriot Front members, heading back to court"
.
KHQ-TV
. Retrieved
May 14,
2023
.
- ^
Tischauser, Jeff; Wilson, Jason (May 8, 2023).
"Examination of Patriot Front Phone Data Delays Rousseau Trial"
.
Southern Poverty Law Center
. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
a
b
"Idaho judge sentences 5 from white nationalist group to jail for conspiracy to riot at Pride event"
. Associated Press. July 21, 2023.
- ^
Che, Chang (July 21, 2023).
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.
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.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
July 22,
2023
.
- ^
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.
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. July 2, 2022
. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
Tiernan, Erin (July 3, 2022).
"
'Hate is as cowardly as it is disgusting': Boston officials condemn the Patriot Front march through city over Fourth of July weekend"
.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
Alanez, Tonya (July 5, 2022).
"Mayor Wu joins law enforcement in closed-door briefing on white supremacist activity in the region"
.
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.
Archived
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. Retrieved
July 6,
2022
.
- ^
Solis, Steph (July 6, 2022).
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.
www.axios.com
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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.
- ^
Martin, Jacquelyn (May 13, 2023).
"Patriot Front Washington"
.
Idaho State Journal
.
AP
. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
@ADL_WashDC (May 14, 2023).
"We are disgusted by the actions of Patriot Front today in DC. This white supremacist group known for its flash demonstrations marched on the National Mall carrying banners spewing their hateful rhetoric"
(
Tweet
)
. Retrieved
May 13,
2023
– via
Twitter
.
- ^
Brunner, Jim; Malone, Patrick (August 8, 2023).
"Far-right Patriot Front members sue leftist activist for allegedly leaking their identities"
.
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. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
Douglas, Eric (April 27, 2024).
"White Supremacist Group Marches Though Downtown Charleston Saturday"
.
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.
- ^
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.
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.
- ^
Goodin, Dan (January 22, 2022).
"A white supremacist website got hacked, airing all its dirty laundry"
.
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. Retrieved
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2024
.
- ^
"Message from thomas"
.
DiscordLeaks
. December 14, 2021
. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
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.
UNICORN RIOT
. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
Brunner, Jim; Malone, Patrick (August 8, 2023).
"Far-right Patriot Front members sue leftist activist for allegedly leaking their identities"
.
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. Retrieved
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2024
.
- ^
a
b
Epstein, Jake; Press-Reynolds, Kieran (June 14, 2022).
"Right-wing influencers are breaking out bogus 'Antifa' conspiracy theories after Patriot Front members were arrested near an Idaho Pride event"
.
Insider.com
. Retrieved
May 13,
2023
.
- ^
Quay, Grayson (July 6, 2022).
"Why right-wingers claim white nationalist group Patriot Front is an FBI sting"
.
The Week
. Retrieved
May 13,
2023
.
- ^
MacGuill, Dan (December 6, 2021).
"No, the 'Patriot Front' Far-Right Rally in DC Was Not Faked"
.
Snopes
. Retrieved
May 13,
2023
.
- ^
Novak, Matt.
"Elon Musk Feeds Viral Conspiracy Theory That Patriot Front Actually 'Feds'
"
.
Forbes
. Archived from
the original
on January 20, 2024
. Retrieved
January 21,
2024
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Bogna, John (December 21, 2017).
"White supremacist group reportedly becoming more active in its home state"
.
Rare
. Retrieved
December 23,
2017
.
- Griffith, Jessica; Elizabeth Robertson (July 4, 2021).
"White Supremacists March in Philadelphia on the Eve of July 4th"
.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
.
- Olmos, Sergio (December 22, 2021).
"Why US far-right groups are shifting their focus to local communities"
.
The Guardian
.
- Ortiz, Al (December 20, 2017).
"Report Warns About New White Supremacist Group Increasing Activity In Texas"
.
Houston Public Media
. Retrieved
December 23,
2017
.
External links
[
edit
]
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International
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Defunct
| Germany
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Europe
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International
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People
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