Patriot Front

Patriot Front
Abbreviation PF
Formation August 2017
Founder Thomas Rousseau[1]
Type
Location
Affiliations
Website bloodandsoil.org [1]

Patriot Front is a Texas-based American white supremacist, neo-Nazi, neo-fascist group.[2] Part of the broader alt-right movement, the group split off from Vanguard America in August 2017 due to the aftermath of the Unite the Right rally.[1][3][4][5]

History

Patriot Front is led by Thomas Ryan Rousseau, a teenager living in the United States. Rousseau had previously taken control of Vanguard's web server and Discord channel several weeks prior to the Unite the Right rally, which Rousseau had participated in as leader of Vanguard America's contingent. Following bad press associated with the rally, Rousseau left Vanguard and used the groups domain name to form Patriot Front as an ostensibly new group, although most members were former Vanguard members and rally participants.[1]

As with Vanguard America, Patriot Front supports white supremacy, antisemitism, fascism, and a white supremacist version of American nationalism. It also promotes the Zionist Occupied Government conspiracy theory.[1] The group uses a combination of patriotic and fascist imagery, such as a fasces surrounded by thirteen stars, and attention-grabbing techniques such as setting off smoke bombs during rallies and protests, and chanting Nazi slogans, such as "blood and soil".[1]

Activities

Activities and membership are predominately focused in Texas. Activity, such as posters from the group, have been also seen in California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah, and Washington.[1][6]

In 2017, the organization planned to attend an alt-right march titled "March Against Communism" before it was cancelled due to possible violence between far-right marchers and far-left counterprotesters.[7] The organization criticized the judgement of the shooting of Kathryn Steinle case.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Patriot Front". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  2. ↑ "Vanguard America (Patriot Front, American Vanguard) - Extremist Watch". extremistwatch.org. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  3. ↑ "Meet 'Patriot Front': Neo-Nazi network aims to blur lines with militiamen, the alt-right". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  4. 1 2 Roman, Gabriel San (2017-12-13). "New Fascist Group Appeared at Laguna Beach Anti-Immigrant Rally". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  5. ↑ "White Nationalist Group Targets Bellevue, Gig Harbor". Bellevue, WA Patch. 2017-11-20. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  6. ↑ "Neo-Nazi Recruitment Flyers Found Littering Downtown Portland on Saturday Night". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  7. ↑ "Neo-Nazis and white nationalists are recruiting Trump supporters who are mad at Colin Kaepernick". Newsweek. 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  • Ortiz, Al (2017-12-20). "Report Warns About New White Supremacist Group Increasing Activity In Texas | Houston Public Media". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  • Bogna, John (2017-12-21). "White supremacist group reportedly becoming more active in its home state". Rare (website). Retrieved 2017-12-23.


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