Video captures Neo-Nazis marching streets of downtown Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Members of Patriot Front on Saturday marched the streets of downtown Indianapolis.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Patriot Front is a white nationalist hate group that broke off from Vanguard America in the aftermath of the deadly 2017 “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Patriot Front posted on Telegram about marching in Indianapolis. According to its website, Indiana is one of their most active states.
They’ve also posted images of recent activity in Noblesville.
Brendan Bow shared a video of the march, which has more than 340,000 views, with News 8.
Destiny Wells, the Democratic candidate for secretary of state, along with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett were attending a Labor Day festival a couple of blocks away from where the march took place.
Hogsett later issued a statement.
“Hate has no place in Indianapolis. The individuals who marched Downtown yesterday do not represent the values of our community, and we condemn their message in the strongest terms possible.”
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, a Democrat
When the march happened Wells was at LaborFest, a rally put on by pro-union groups on Monument Circle. She called on the state’s Republican leadership to condemn Patriot Front.
Wells told News 8, “As an attorney who has dealt with civil rights law, of course they have a First Amendment right, but let’s think about this. We talk about the days when the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) used to march down the streets of Indiana, and we have distanced ourselves from that moment in time. I would say we have boomeranged back where we have those same elements of hate.”
Bow, the citizen who captured the video of the march, told News 8 that he’s embarrassed the Patriot Front came to Indianapolis. “Frankly, I think it’s embarrassing were still dealing with these issues. Having armed people in the streets trying to intimidate minorities and trying to intimidate people around them, too scared to even show their face, I think it’s a level of cowardice and backwardness that shouldn’t be there.”
Statements
“The values this group represents are dangerous to democracy. I condemn this show of hatred—these extremist views should not represent Indianapolis or the majority of its residents.”
U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat from Indiana
“There is no place for hate in our country, and I condemn all hate groups and rallies from any political background that promote violence. As your U.S. Senator, I have and will continue to work on policies that bring Hoosiers together.”
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana
“Hatred and ignorance has no place here in Indianapolis, in America, or anywhere!!”
Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, at 3:11 p.m. Sept. 5, 2022, on Twitter