Photo Credit: Finn Gomez/Getty Images
Roswell Encina became a national news story over the weekend after he was photographed surrounded by masked members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front on a Washington, D.C., Metro train on July 4. After seeing Roswell’s post on Threads, I reached out to hear firsthand what that experience was like—and what it says about the country at this moment.
Patriot Front, a neo-fascist white supremacist group that emerged after the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, claims to seek a nation reserved for the descendants of America’s European settlers.
The group, which appeared to be led by Patriot Front founder Thomas Rousseau, marched from Union Station toward Capitol Hill on July 4th, chanting slogans including “Life, liberty, victory!” and “Reclaim America!”
D.C. police said they were monitoring the demonstration while recognizing participants’ First Amendment rights. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum similarly said he opposed Patriot Front’s ideology but defended its right to free speech.
Former counterterrorism official John Cohen told Reuters that the group’s decision to march publicly on Independence Day illustrates how emboldened white supremacist organizations have become in the United States.
Thank you Sara Garcia, Teri Carter, Urban Hermit, Sandy McFarlin, Gloria Brewer, and many others for tuning into my live video with Roswell Encina! Join me for my next live video in the app.
