US interior secretary Doug Burgum on Sunday (5) defended the constitutional right to free speech after hundreds of masked members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front marched through Washington during Independence Day celebrations.
"Certainly what they stand for is nothing that I could possibly agree with. But one of the foundational principles of the United States, which makes democracy messy, is free speech," Burgum told CNN's State of the Union.
The march took place on Saturday (4) as Americans marked the nation's 250th anniversary. Videos circulating online showed hundreds of masked men wearing matching tan pants, blue shirts and hats, carrying Confederate and US flags while chanting "Reclaim America!"
The group, which appeared to be led by Patriot Front founder Thomas Rousseau, gathered outside Union Station, traveled on the Washington Metro system and marched toward Capitol Hill.
Asked whether he would condemn the group or urge President Donald Trump to do so, Burgum said there were many things he found personally offensive but said free speech was protected under the US Constitution. He also criticized progressive political candidates, describing some as "communists."
Washington's Metropolitan Police Department said the group marched briefly through neighborhoods near the US Capitol before leaving the city before 11 am.
"MPD recognizes the rights of individuals to peacefully express their views and remains committed to maintaining public safety and security for DC residents and visitors," a police spokesperson said in a statement cited by US media.
Several videos of the march were posted online. In one clip shared by Republican Senator Mike Lee, a person livestreaming the gathering outside Union Station described it as a "total Aryan victory."
Patriot Front was founded after the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which brought together white nationalists from across the country. The rally ended when a self-described white supremacist drove a car into counterprotesters, killing one woman and injuring 19 others.
Trump faced widespread criticism after the violence for saying there were "very fine people on both sides," remarks he made two days after the attack.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups in the United States, describes Patriot Front as a white nationalist hate group that "focuses on theatrical rhetoric and activism."
In its counterterrorism strategy released in May, the Trump administration identified violent left-wing extremists as one of the country's three main terrorism threats, marking a shift from former President Joe Biden's administration, which had identified far-right extremist groups, particularly white supremacists, as a leading domestic threat. (AFP)
