Police say masked white supremacists are fleeing angry onlookers in Philadelphia

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The masked white extremists who demonstrated outside Philadelphia City Hall over the weekend of the Fourth of July fled when confronted by passersby, authorities said Monday, using smoke grenades to disguise their retreat.

About 200 Patriot Front members descended on downtown Saturday night chanting “Get back America” ​​and saying the presidential election was stolen, Philadelphia police spokeswoman Tanya Little said.

Stunning photos by fellow Inquirer Jessica Griffin of a rally through Philadelphia by far-right Patriots – near Independence Hall on the eve of July 4 https://t.co/Opvvcwr1yD

– Will Bunch (@will_bunch) on July 4, 2021

A video posted by NBC Philadelphia shows dozens of people in khaki pants, blue shirts and white masks holding US flags and shields.

In the video, people following the group can be heard shouting and taunting the protesters. At some point, a spectator pays a member of the group.

Police Officer Michael Crum told WPVI-TV that Patriots members felt threatened and “literally ran away from the Philadelphians.”

As they did, Little said, they threw what appeared to be smoke bombs to “cover their withdrawal as they fled.”

The group did not respond to a request for comment. Little said there were no arrests, injuries, or reports of damage.

The Anti-Defamation League, which monitors hate groups, described the Patriots as white supremacists who “assert that their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it to them alone”.

In its statement, the group advocates white supremacy, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which also tracks hate groups. The center said the National Front was established after the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.

Tim Steloh is a reporter for NBC News in California.

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