White supremacy group gathers in Boston: "It was out of place for sure"
BOSTON -- The holiday weekend brought a disturbing sight to Boston on Saturday: a group of white supremacists.
Wearing masks and parading through the streets of downtown Boston, the group called Patriot Front, made their presence known.
There were several dozen wearing "Reclaim America" shirts but they never showed their faces. Some of the men carried police shields and flags.
The group was confronted with opposition as they tried to make their way around the city.
"Y'all just a bunch of cowards from out of state, ain't even your town," one man to them. "Run away cowards run away."
Many in the group took the Orange Line to Malden and appeared to get into cars with out-of-state license plates.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu tweeted, "To the white supremacists who ran through downtown today: When we march, we don't hide our faces. Your hate is as cowardly as it is disgusting, and it goes against all that Boston stands for."
This is a group that's had protests in other cities.
On Sunday's Face the Nation, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said they are keeping a long close watch on groups like the Patriots Front.
"I have said and this has been echoed by the director of the FBI, that domestic violent extremism is one of the greatest terrorism-related threats that we face on the homeland today. Individuals spurred by ideology of hate, false narratives, personal grievances, to acts of violence and it is that we respond to and we seek to of course prevent. We are in a heightened threat environment," said Mayorkas.
As Bostonians got ready to celebrate the 4th, they voiced their opposition to the group.
"Obviously no one wants to see that kind of thing happening in their society. You want inclusion everywhere," one person said.
"It's sick it shouldn't be happening right now. We're in 2022," said another said.
"It was out of place for sure," a woman said.
"It was very disappointing and why this weekend?" a man asked. "What are they trying to achieve?"
"There is a long history of white supremacist terrorism in this country and it is shameful," another woman said.
No arrests were made but the group did cause quite of a disturbance on this 4th of July weekend.