After members of a known white nationalist group were seen demonstrating in Louisville July 5, several city leaders and organizations publicly denounced the activities.
Videos posted to social media appear to show a group identifying as the Patriot Front marching in downtown Louisville and gathering for a speech near Metro Hall.
The Patriot Front, which formed after the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. It has also been condemned by the Anti-Defamation League “for (producing) the vast majority of white supremacist propaganda distributed in the United States” since 2019.
Louisville Metro Police spokesperson Matthew Sanders said in a statement July 5 the department “was aware (of) and was monitoring” the protest as demonstrators marched through the city. It is unclear whether a permit had been issued to the demonstrators ahead of their march.
“This event, although understandably concerning, posed no threat to the public and had no impact on traffic or other operations in the city,” Sanders said. “Therefore, it is our hope that nobody gives this group the coverage and attention that it is seeking.”
In a statement posted to X July 5, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said he “strongly” condemned the values of the Patriot Front.
“While the rest of our city is celebrating our country’s freedoms this weekend, they are focused on hate and have no place in our city or anywhere else,” Greenberg said.
Officials with the Louisville Branch NAACP said in a statement the organization “vehemently condemns a white supremacist group that marched through part of downtown Louisville Saturday.”
“Words are not strong enough. For decades, the NAACP has been dedicated to fighting against racial hatred and division fomented by groups like this,” Louisville Branch NAACP president Raymond Burse said. “It’s unfortunate that this group felt comfortable enough to display its venom and ignorance on a Louisville city street. It will never be tolerated.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which advocates for the civil rights of Muslims nationwide, also condemned the protest in Louisville.
“We condemn all attempts nationwide to promote white supremacy and the racist legacy of the Confederacy,” a spokesperson for CAIR said in a statement July 6. “All Americans should encourage unity and mutual respect, not division and hatred.”
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Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@gannett.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville leaders, organizations denounce Patriot Front march