Nashville leaders are reacting to Saturday's demonstration by white nationalist group Patriot Front with condemnation and outrage, as extremist groups continue to make their presence known in Middle Tennessee.
“My first priority in this moment — as always — was the safety of Nashvillians,” Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I refuse to platform hate actors, so I have no interest in giving any group or member the attention they seek. But what we should all do is refuse to allow this to be normalized.
“Just because someone is exercising their First Amendment rights does not mean we must accept someone shamelessly identifying as a Nazi as just another American. … Our law enforcement were engaged throughout the actions of [Saturday], and there were no incidents involving direct threats to anyone’s physical safety. Going forward, we’re exploring how we can thoroughly address unlawful activity of the group and prevent it in the future.”
White supremacists continue to show up in Tennessee. Perhaps because they identify with our state leaders' politics.
“This cannot be the normal for us, we cannot normalize hate,” Metro Councilmember At-Large Zulfat Saura said in part in a video. “We cannot let hate win. We have to continue to live together as people.”
“It is essential to address the root causes that have led to the rise and confidence of the far-right in our state, exacerbated by the xenophobic, anti-trans, and pro-carceral policies aggressively pushed by the Republican supermajority,” said state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) in a statement.
In October 2022, far-right hate group the Proud Boys made an appearance at an anti-trans rally in Nashville that featured remarks by Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and several state leaders. In February of this year, another hate-group, Blood Tribe, also marched through Nashville in a demonstration that drew national attention.
Extremist groups have increased their activity in the region over the past decade, with showings from Nashville to Murfreesboro, Franklin and beyond. In 2023, Franklin's municipal elections were marred by the presence of neo-Nazis who acted as muscle for failed mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson and saw the vandalism of the Williamson Herald office.
Examining the history of white supremacy in Nashville, modern far-right hate groups, and Williamson County as a seat of right-wing politics
“This is what we're fighting against in Tennessee,” Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Hendrell Remus said in a statement. “This is what we're fighting against in America. While our Republican state leaders sit quietly by, we refuse to let hate-filled racists terrorize our community.”
State Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) called out Utah’s Republican Sen. Mike Lee, who asked if the march was a “false flag operation.”
“Instead of playing cheap political games that give aid & comfort to the pathetic thugs that marched thru our city chanting Sieg Heil, you could help or at least condemn these wannabe fascists,” Yarbro said. “You’re a sitting United States senator. Act like it.”
