Iowans share concerns after masked members of extremist group Patriot Front march in Des Moines
By Kayla James, Pepper Purpura
Click here for updates on this story
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A group calling themselves “The Patriot Front” was seen marching Saturday just after noon in Downtown Des Moines.
Video sent to KCCI shows them marching on Grand Avenue in the East Village.
In the video, they can be heard shouting “Reclaim America” and “Life, Liberty, Victory.”
The group was also seen on the grounds of the Iowa Statehouse.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation refers to “The Patriot Front” as a far-right group created in Texas that has white supremacist ideology. Des Moines police tell KCCI that officers are aware of Saturday’s demonstration.
KCCI reached out to the FBI office in Omaha, Nebraska, and is waiting for a response.
KCCI’s Pepper Purpura spoke with someone who says he has seen video of the group in other cities, but was alarmed to see a demonstration in Des Moines.
“I was kind of shocked to see that here; shocked and then immediately really, really upset,” said Jack Lynch. “That kind of stuff has no place in any kind of civil society, let alone a place like Des Moines or the East Village where there are a lot of gay people.”
Both chairs from the Iowa Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Iowa shared the following statements:
“Today, a white supremacist group that primarily exists to spread hate and fear by marching with their flags and hiding their faces with white masks, tried to intimidate Iowans. This group has joined protests that resulted in murder, harassment and chaos in cities like Charlottesville and Nashville. Let me be clear: This group, their scare tactics, and their hate have no place in Iowa.” -Iowa Democratic Party Chair, Rita Hart
“I don’t know who this group is. I’ve never heard of them. They sound like morons and I and the Republican Party will always condemn crap like this.” Republican Party of Iowa Chair, Jeff Kauffman.
A post on The Patriot Front’s website says Saturday’s demonstration was in protest of “the mass migration of unassimilable foreigners who have invaded America.”
The group marched around the East Village and on Statehouse grounds chanting and waving flags. They wore masks or face coverings.
A video on the Patriot Front’s website says they protect their identity to “protect the lives of those speaking out against tyranny.
The FBI calls the group “far-right” and “extremist,” and has records referring to them as “white supremacist” and “neo-nazis.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
