So-called "Patriots" putting up a Front in Kentucky

Read this quote from a fellow Kentuckian:

I feel like jews immigrants and muslims are a malicious threat to the Unites States and it’s economy that’s why the people are in current state of civil unrest these n!##3π’$ are causing them selves to be shot by the police and Making the split even bigger I feel as if there’s going to be a huge race war and whites will come out on top. How do you feel about this statement?”

– Vincent KY

This quote appeared in a recent Buzzfeed story about a growing white nationalist group called the Patriot Front.

About the Patriot Front

Written by Stephanie Compton

Patriot Front is identified as a white nationalist hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group formed by splitting off from the neo-Nazi group, American Vanguard, after a Vanguard member killed a counter-protester, Heather Heyer, at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in 2017.

Since being formed by Thomas Rousseau, Patriot Front has expanded to hundreds of members across the United States and in other countries. (You can read more about Patriot Front on Wikipedia, as well as in this story on Forward Kentucky.)

Patriot Front has been active in Kentucky for almost 2 years. Their manifesto claims they are on a mission towards a “hard reset” and “a return to the traditions and virtues of our forefathers.”

Patriot Front activity in Kentucky

In the summer of 2018, the Anti-Defamation League recorded propaganda flyers that read “Will your speech be hate speech?” and “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Victory” in Oldham County. Other cities and towns recorded as receiving propaganda in the last three years include:

Anchorage
Bardstown
Bloomfield
Bowling Green
Bromley
Buckner
Corbin
Cox’s Creek
Danville
Elizabethtown

Florence
Fort Thomas
Hartford
Hawesville
Highland Heights
Hodgenville
Jeffersontown
La Grange
Lexington
London

Louisville
Lyndon
McKinney
Middletown
Mount Washington
Munfordville
Murray
Nazareth
Newport

Paducah
Prospect
Radcliff
Shepherdsville
Springfield
St. Matthews
Stanford
Waddy
Warfield

This data is taken from the ADL “Heat Map” of racist incidents for Kentucky. You can view the full heat map and all the incidents (not just Patriot Front) at the ADL site. We have listed all the Patriot Front incidents from the ADL database in an appendix at the bottom of this article.

In December 2019, Patriot Front shared pictures on social media showing flyers that read “America First” across Kentucky in Louisville, Lexington, Bardstown, Shepherdsville, Waddy, Middletown, St. Matthews, and Munfordville. They’ve also shared pictures from various meetups across the state.

What should we do about this and similar groups?

Patriot Front intends to be around for the long game and is committed to their cause. Ignoring or dismissing them, simply because “all they do is put up stickers,” is overlooking the real problem: the ideology of white supremacy and racism that they inculcate in their members. That ideology is not only incompatible with American ideals, it is also a gateway to violence.

One thing to do is to know the common Patriot Front symbols, uniforms, and flags. Being able to recognize them in public — or in your family — is a first step to confronting the hate.

Join organizations that work against such hate, such as Showing Up for Racial Justice, the NAACP, Kentucky Alliance, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and others.

And, talk with your children about the values of acceptance, diversity, and love. Help them to understand how important these are. Help them to reject racism and hatred when they encounter it.

All of us in Kentucky must reject Patriot Front and other groups like it, even as they try to recruit our young people to join them.

–30–

Written by Stephanie Compton.

Appendix of Patriot Front activity as recorded in the ADL database

Date	City	Action
9/13/20	La Grange	Distributed propaganda stickers. Some of them displayed American flags with an embedded QR code leading to Patriot Front’s website. Other stickers included slogans such as “America first,” “For the nation against the state,” and “Life liberty victory.”
9/11/20	Hawesville	Distributed propaganda stickers. Some of them displayed American flags with an embedded QR code leading to Patriot Front’s website. Other stickers included slogans such as “America first” and “To ourselves and our posterity.”
8/8/20	Corbin	Distributed propaganda that read: “America first,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “Life liberty victory.”
8/7/20	Lexington	Distributed propaganda stickers at the University of Kentucky. Some of them displayed American flags with an embedded QR code leading to Patriot Front’s website. Other stickers included slogans such as “Not stolen conquered,” “For the nation against the state,” and “Patriotfront.us.”
8/3/20	London	Distributed propaganda stickers. Some of them displayed American flags with an embedded QR code leading to Patriot Front’s website. Other stickers included slogans such as “America is not for sale,” “Reclaim America,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “Patriotfront.us.”
7/29/20	Florence	Distributed propaganda that read: “America first” and “United we stand.”
6/18/20	Lexington	Distributed propaganda at Transylvania University that read: “America first,” “Better dead than red,” and “Life liberty victory.”
5/31/20	Bromley	Distributed propaganda that read: “For the nation against the state,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “America first.”
5/31/20	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “Not stolen conquered,” “Better dead than red,” “America is not for sale,” and “Revolution is tradition.”
5/10/20	Newport	Distributed propaganda that read: “United we stand,” “Better dead than red,” and “Not stolen conquered.”
4/15/20	Fort Thomas	Distributed propaganda that read: “United we stand,” “America is not for sale,” and “Not stolen conquered.”
4/14/20	Prospect	Distributed propaganda that read: “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit,” “Not stolen conquered,” “Reclaim America,” and “Our tradition is revolution.”
4/1/20	Hartford	Distributed propaganda that read: “America first,” “One nation against invasion,” and “Revolution is tradition.”
3/31/20	Mount Washington	Distributed propaganda that read: “America is not for sale,” “Reclaim America,” “America first,” and “One nation against invasion.”
3/31/20	Nazareth	Distributed American flag themed stickers with the QR code for Patriot Front and propaganda that read: “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit” and “America first.”
3/26/20	Coxs Creek	Distributed American flag themed stickers with the QR code for Patriot Front and propaganda that read: “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit,” “Better dead than red,” and “America first.”
3/25/20	Bardstown	Distributed propaganda that read: “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit,” “Revolution is tradition,” and “America first.”
3/22/20	Louisville	Distributed propaganda that read: “Better dead than red,” “To ourselves and our posterity,” and “Reclaim America.”
3/22/20	Middletown	Distributed propaganda that read: “Our tradition is revolution,” “One nation against invasion,” “Revolution is tradition,” and “Life liberty victory.”
3/18/20	Bloomfield	Distributed propaganda that read: “To ourselves and our posterity,” “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “America first.”
3/15/20	Bardstown	Distributed propaganda that read: “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit,” “Revolution is tradition,” “Reject poison,” and “Better dead than red.”
3/10/20	Louisville	Dropped a banner from an overpass that read: “One nation against invasion.”
3/8/20	St. Matthews	Distributed propaganda that read: “One nation against invasion,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “Reclaim America.”
2/20/20	Louisville	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America,” “Better dead than red,” and “Revolution is tradition.”
1/22/20	Waddy	Distributed propaganda that read: “Not stolen conquered” and “One nation against invasion.”
1/19/20	Bowling Green	Dropped a banner from an overpass that read: “Life liberty victory.”
1/19/20	Louisville	Dropped a banner from a Louisville overpass that read: “Better dead than red.”
1/19/20	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “Not stolen conquered,” “For ourselves and our posterity,” “Reclaim America,” “America is not for sale,” and “Life liberty victory.”
1/17/20	Shepherdsville	Distributed propaganda that read: “Better dead than red,” “One nation against invasion,” and “Revolution is tradition.”
1/12/20	Louisville	Distributed propaganda that read: “Not stolen conquered,” “Reject poison,” and “Better dead than red.”
1/6/20	Elizabethtown	Distributed propaganda that read: “America is not for sale,” “Reject poison,” “Life liberty victory,” and “United we stand.”
12/28/19	Elizabethtown	Distributed propaganda that read: “America is not for sale,” “United we stand,” and “Not stolen conquered.”
12/22/19	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “Not stolen conquered,” “Revolution is tradition,” “To ourselves and our posterity,” and “Our tradition is revolution.”
12/10/19	Bardstown	Distributed propaganda that read: “Better dead than red” and “Reject poison.”
12/10/19	Shepherdsville	Distributed propaganda that read: “One nation against invasion,” “Revolution is tradition,” “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit,” and “Not stolen conquered.”
12/6/19	Middletown	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America,” “America first,” and “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit.”
12/6/19	St. Matthews	Distributed propaganda that read: “America first,” “America is not for sale,” and “Reclaim America.”
12/4/19	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “America first,” “One nation against invasion,” “Revolution is tradition,” and “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit.”
11/29/19	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “America first,” “One nation against invasion,” and “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit.”
11/21/19	Munfordville	Distributed propaganda that read: “Life liberty victory,” “Better dead than red,” and “Revolution is tradition.”
11/14/19	Hodgenville	Distributed propaganda that read: “One nation against invasion,” “America first,” and “Life liberty victory.”
11/14/19	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “One nation against invasion,” “America first,” and “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit.”
11/10/19	Bowling Green	Dropped a banner from an overpass that read: “Reclaim America.”
11/10/19	Louisville	Dropped a banner from a bridge in Louisville that read: “Not stolen conquered.”
11/4/19	Lexington	Distributed propaganda at a President Donald Trump rally that read: “No more foreign wars.”
10/15/19	Elizabethtown	Distributed propaganda that read: “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit” and “Reclaim America.”
10/8/19	Murray	Distributed propaganda at Murray State University that read: “Not stolen conquered,” “United we stand,” and “Better dead than red.”
10/8/19	Paducah	Distributed propaganda at the University of Kentucky that read: “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit,” “America first,” and “To ourselves and our posterity.”
10/5/19	Louisville	Distributed propaganda at the University of Louisville that read: “Life of our nation liberty of our people victory of the American spirit,” “Revolution is tradition,” and “Reclaim America.”
10/3/19	Louisville	Distributed propaganda at Spalding University that read: “America is not for sale,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “Reclaim America.”
9/30/19	Highland Heights	Distributed propaganda at Northern Kentucky University that read: America first,” “To ourselves and our posterity,” and “America first.”
9/26/19	Louisville	Distributed propaganda that read: “Money does not rule you” and “America first.”
9/26/19	Radcliff	Distributed propaganda that read: “Better dead than red,” “Money does not rule you,” and “Reject poison.”
9/10/19	Springfield	Distributed propaganda that read: “Money does not rule you” and “Not stolen conquered.”
9/8/19	Warfield	Distributed propaganda that read: “Money does not rule you,” “America first,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “Reject poison.”
9/4/19	McKinney	Distributed propaganda that read: “America first,” “Reject poison,” “Reclaim America,” and “Life liberty and the pursuit of victory.”
8/25/19	Danville	Distributed propaganda that read: “Not stolen conquered,” “Better dead than red,” and “Will your speech be hate speech?”
8/24/19	Stanford	Distributed propaganda that read: “Money does not rule you,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “Reject poison.”
8/19/19	Louisville	Distributed propaganda at the University of Louisville Shelby Campus that read: “Reject poison,” “Money does not rule you,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “Better dead than red.”
8/16/19	Fort Thomas	Distributed propaganda that read: “Money does not rule you,” “Life liberty and the pursuit of victory,” and “Better dead than red.”
8/12/19	Danville	Distributed propaganda that read: “Money does not rule you,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “To ourselves and our posterity.”
8/9/19	Jeffersontown	Distributed propaganda that read: “America first,” “Better dead than red,” “Money does not rule you,” and “Reject poison.”
8/5/19	Danville	Distributed propaganda that read: “To ourselves and our posterity,” “Money does not rule you,” and “Will your speech be hate speech?”
8/2/19	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America” and “America first.”
8/1/19	Bowling Green	Distributed propaganda that read: “Money does not rule you” and “Life liberty and the pursuit of victory.”
7/25/19	Fort Thomas	Distributed propaganda that read: “Not stolen conquered,” “Reject poison,” and “Money does not rule you.”
7/17/19	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America.”
7/15/19	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America” and “America first.”
7/15/19	Newport	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America,” “To ourselves and our posterity,” and “Life liberty and the pursuit of victory.”
7/11/19	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America” and “America first.”
7/3/19	Louisville	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America” and “America first.”
6/30/19	Middleton	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America” and “America first.”
6/28/19	Jeffersontown	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America” and “America first.”
6/27/19	Louisville	Distributed propaganda that read: “Reclaim America” and “America first.”
6/22/19	Lexington	Distributed propaganda that read: “America First.”
6/11/19	La Grange	Distributed stickers that read: “America first.”
4/16/19	Lexington	Distributed American flag themed stickers with the QR code for the Patriot Front.
3/5/19	Lexington	Distributed fliers that read: “Money does not rule you” and “Reject poison.”
2/18/19	Louisville	Distributed fliers that read: “Not stolen conquered,” “Keep America American,” “To ourselves and our posterity,” and “Will your speech be hate speech?”
2/13/19	Lexington	Distributed fliers that read: “Money does not rule you,” “Not stolen conquered,” and “Will your speech be hate speech?”
2/11/19	Louisville	Distributed fliers that read: “Reclaim America,” “Keep America American,” and “Life liberty and the pursuit of victory.”
1/17/19	Louisville	Distributed fliers that read: “To ourselves and our posterity,” “Reclaim America,” and “Will your speech be hate speech?”
1/8/19	Elizabethtown	Distributed fliers that read: “To ourselves and our posterity,” “Keep America American,” and “Will your speech be hate speech?”
12/16/18	St. Matthews	Posted fliers and stickers that read: “Keep America American,” “Will your speech be hate speech?” “Money does not rule you,” and “Life liberty and the pursuit of victory.”
11/24/18	La Grange	Posted fliers and stickers that read: “Keep America American,” “Better dead than red,” “To ourselves and our posterity” and “Will your speech be hate speech?”
10/7/18	Louisville	Posted flyers and stickers that read: “Will your speech be hate speech,” “Life liberty and the pursuit of victory,” “Reclaim America,” and “Money does not rule you.”
9/18/18	Lyndon	Posted flyers and stickers that read: “Democracy the freedom to vote but not get what you vote for,” “Your future with communism,” “Your future with communism,” and “Not here not ever.”
9/10/18	Anchorage	Posted flyers that read: “Money doesn’t rule,” “America revolution is tradition,” “Your future with communism,” and “Building a future preserving a nation.”
8/30/18	Louisville	Posted flyers and stickers that read: “America first,” “American revolution is tradition,” “Fake news don’t buy it,” and “Building a future preserving a nation.”
8/24/18	Louisville	Posted flyers and stickers that read: “America first,” “Not stolen conquered,” “America revolution is tradition,” and “Welcome to occupied America.”
8/19/18	La Grange	Posted flyers and stickers that read: “Fake news don’t buy it,” “America revolution is tradition,” and “Not stolen conquered.”
8/15/18	Louisville	Posted flyers and stickers that read: “America first” and “America revolution is tradition.”
8/2/18	St. Matthews	Posted a banner that read: “Build the wall, deport them all.”
7/2/18	Buckner	Distributed multiple flyers that read: “Not Stolen, Conquered,” “Democracy: the freedom to vote but not get what you voted for” and “To ourselves and our posterity.”
6/19/18	St. Matthews	Posted flyers that read: “Building a future, preserving a nation,” “Money Does Not Own You” and “Your Future with Communism [skull image].”
6/3/18	La Grange	Distributed flyers. The flyers read: “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Victory,” “Not Here, Not Ever [eagle with hammer and sickle],” and “Will your speech be hate speech?”