Masked white nationalists march near US Capitol during July 4 celebrations

Hundreds of masked members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front marched through the Washington DC area on Saturday, as the United States marked the 250th anniversary of its independence.

The men, many wearing khaki trousers, dark blue shirts, caps, sunglasses and white face coverings, were filmed moving through the capital’s public transport system before marching in formation in parts of Washington and nearby New Carrollton, Maryland.

Some carried US flags, shields and drums, while others displayed Confederate flags. Videos posted online showed the group chanting “Reclaim America” as it moved through the area during one of the most symbolically charged national holidays in the US calendar.

The march took place as large crowds gathered for Fourth of July festivities, including events linked to the country’s semiquincentennial. The anniversary has been marked by patriotic ceremonies, concerts, fireworks and political speeches, but also by protests and heightened debate over national identity.

Police monitored the white nationalist march but there were no immediate reports of major clashes. Officers and security personnel were already deployed across the capital for the holiday events.

Patriot Front, founded after the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, is one of the most visible white nationalist organisations in the United States. Extremism researchers describe the group as fascist and white supremacist, with an ideology centred on creating a white ethnostate.

The Charlottesville rally remains one of the darkest recent moments in US far-right politics. It brought together white supremacists and neo-Nazis and ended after a man drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

Patriot Front has since become known for tightly staged public appearances, masked marches and the distribution of propaganda. Its members often use patriotic imagery while promoting exclusionary and racist ideas about who belongs in the country.

The group’s appearance on July 4 drew criticism from politicians and civil rights advocates, who said the march was intended to exploit the anniversary of American independence for extremist messaging.

Senator Ed Markey was among those condemning the demonstration, saying hatred and bigotry had no place in Washington or anywhere else in the country.

The march also revived scrutiny of the broader political climate in the US, where far-right groups have repeatedly attempted to attach themselves to national symbols, public holidays and debates over immigration, race and citizenship.

This year’s Independence Day celebrations were meant to project unity and national pride on a historic anniversary. Instead, the sight of masked white nationalists moving through the capital underscored the divisions still shaping American public life, 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.