‘We Are Disenfranchised’: Masked White Nationalists, Patriot Front Took over Kansas City, Claim They Are Under Attack, Oppressed In America and Need to Reclaim Their Nation
More than 150 masked white nationalists marched through Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, flooding downtown with Confederate flags, upside-down American banners, and chants of “life, liberty, victory” and “reclaim America,” in a brazen pop-up rally that alarmed residents and drew fierce condemnation from city officials and civil rights advocates.
The demonstration, held on the public grounds surrounding the National WWI Museum and Memorial, was organized by the white nationalist group Patriot Front — an avowed fascist organization founded in Texas in 2017. The group’s members, dressed in matching navy shirts, khaki pants, and tan caps, marched in military-style formation for roughly an hour. Some carried shields, while others bore symbols tied to white supremacist ideologies, the Kansas City Star reported.
A video posted on X by a verified account showed the rally’s leader, Thomas Rousseau, delivering a megaphone speech as rows of masked white men stood in tight formation. Rousseau, unmasked and wearing a 10-gallon hat, gave a rousing speech invoking white power and white grievance rhetoric.
The account that made the post proclaimed, “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children. ” Then, it added, “I fully support the message, vision, grit, and determination of Patriot Front. Thomas Rousseau delivered a powerful speech at the National WWI Memorial.” It ended with, “White lives matter.”
Rousseau claimed that “war was being waged against their people,” and urged his followers to take the country back.
“We are disenfranchised, demoralized and downtrodden people,” he added.
Later, Rousseau declared online, “Today was the largest action we’ve ever put on as an organization. It was remarkably successful, and we accomplished every single objective we set out to for the day.”
The event appeared to have been planned in secret, with no permits requested or police escorts arranged, according to the Kansas City Police Department.
“The KCPD was unaware this group was planning to come into our city as they do not advertise their protest/march locations,” said Officer Alayna Gonzalez. “We learned this group calls themselves the Patriot Front, and it is believed everyone involved is from out of town and not local to Kansas City.”
She noted that because the march stayed on sidewalks, no permit was needed, and no arrests or citations were made. However, video footage showed the brigade had in fact taken over the entire set of concrete steps leading up to the museum. As Rousseau wrapped up his speech, he rallied the platoon with chants of “life, liberty, and victory,” the crowd shouting each phrase in unison, their voices echoing in the distance.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas responded strongly in a post on X: “While the First Amendment provides the right to bring any message to Kansas City, we know that our diversity, our welcoming community, and our respect for the rights of all reject whatever hate and cowardice come our way.”
Museum officials quickly distanced themselves from the demonstration.
“We respect First Amendment protections for peaceful assembly and free speech, and want to be unequivocally clear that the views expressed by this group do not represent or align with our values,” said Karis Erwin, the museum’s vice president of marketing and guest services. “The Museum and Memorial remains committed to serving as a place of learning, reflection and unity for all visitors.”
Civil rights advocates warned that the rally represents more than just a weekend stunt—it’s part of a calculated effort by the Patriot Front to build visibility and draw new recruits through online virality and alignment with extremist parts of the MAGA movement.
“The attention-seeking neo-fascist group Patriot Front is well-known for utilizing stunts like this to generate publicity and attract broken young men to their ranks,” said Devin Burghart, president of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. “Widespread community condemnation and long-term organizing are essential in making sure this new generation of white nationalists can’t take root in our communities.”
Founded in the wake of the deadly 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, where neo-Nazi James Alex Fields Jr. murdered counter-protester Heather Heyer, the Patriot Front emerged as a splinter group from Vanguard America. Fields had marched in Charlottesville behind a shield bearing Vanguard’s logo. Rousseau, once a leader in Vanguard, assumed control of Patriot Front through what former colleagues described as a calculated internal coup.
Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center designates Patriot Front as a hate group. The SPLC describes it as “image-obsessed,” focused on theatrical rhetoric and choreographed activism meant to be recycled as propaganda across its nationwide network. Its manifesto disavows democracy, promoting instead an ethno-nationalist vision that excludes immigrants, non-whites, and anyone outside of its so-called “founding stock.”
“An African, for example, may have lived, worked, and even been classed as a citizen in America for centuries, yet he is not American,” the manifesto states. “The same rule applies to others who are not of the founding stock of our people.”
The group has become known for its guerrilla-style tactics, including unannounced marches, flash mobs, and propaganda drops. In June 2022, 31 Patriot Front members were arrested in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, after police intercepted a U-Haul packed with shields, riot gear, and a smoke grenade near a Pride event. The truck also contained documents outlining plans to incite violence.
Despite their attempts to project community engagement, such as distributing food to the homeless with recruitment flyers attached, experts say such acts are a façade. “This type of action is about more than helping the community,” IREHR wrote in a 2023 report. “This recruitment tool gets young men and teenagers involved in the group.”
Missouri ranks as the third-most active state for Patriot Front activity, according to that report, underscoring a broader national strategy to infiltrate mainstream conservative spaces by wrapping hate speech in the language of patriotism and grievance.
“The presence of a group of masked white nationalists tromping through the streets of Kansas City is a stark reminder that, in this moment, we must counter racism and bigotry on the margins and in the mainstream,” Burghart said.
While the group has since left Kansas City, the images and videos from Saturday’s march remain online, amplifying the group’s message and drawing in an audience far beyond Missouri. For those monitoring extremist threats in the U.S., the march was not just an isolated incident—it was a warning.