White supremacist group marched in Nashville without permit; breached U-Haul customer contract

On Saturday, a group of white nationalists, known as the Patriot Front, marched through Nashville and made their way up the steps of the Tennessee Capitol. The group wore ski masks, matching clothing and carried Confederate and upside-down American flags as well as shields.

According to a statement from the Tennessee Democratic Party, the group chanted "Deportation saves the nation," and "Sieg Heil," a German phrase and Nazi salute which means "Heil (to) victory."

The Patriot Front is a white nationalist hate group that formed following the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., back in August of 2017. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the group was formed by members of Vanguard America, a neo-Nazi group that participated in the deadly rally.

Saturday's demonstration was not the first time a white supremacist group marched through the streets of Nashville. In February, two dozen people wearing Nazi gear marched through downtown.

On Monday, Gov. Bill Lee addressed the march.

“My understanding is that group has some antisemitic ties, and should be condemned at every level," he said during an event. "Jewish people in this community and around the world have suffered for generations. Antisemitism should not be tolerated.”

In 2023, the Southern Poverty Law Center tracked 37 hate and anti-government groups in Tennessee, which include white supremacist groups like the Patriot Front, Atlantic City Skins, National Alliance and more.

Nashville Mayor's office: White supremacist group failed to obtain permit to march

On Monday, the mayor's office confirmed the white supremacist group did not have a permit to march Saturday. According to Deputy Communications Director and Press Secretary, Alex Apple, O'Connell has been emphatic that hate speech, although legal, is not welcome in Nashville.

O'Connell has requested information from Metro Nashville Police and Metro Legal about known violations of law in recent demonstrations, said Apple.

"While the past concern has been safety, the mayor is looking forward to doing more to ensure that any future activity is lawful expression of speech. which has not been the case in recent events," he said.

O'Connell on Sunday posted a lengthy message on social media, denouncing the demonstration.

The march prompted swift reaction from other leaders.

Nashville Vice Mayor Angie Henderson said the group were not patriots and instead called them "hateful, Trump-emboldened cowards."

"These groups are not welcome in our city, and we will not be intimidated by fascists," she said on X. "We should all shout from the roof tops & street corners as loud & long as we can: SHAME ON YOU!"

Reaction:Neo-Nazis feel they can march with no shame; we must condemn and counter their rhetoric

The Tennessee Democratic Party condemned the march and called on Republican leaders to also denounce the actions of the group.

"This is what we're fighting against in Tennessee. This what we're fighting against in America," said TNDP Chair, Hendrell Remus in a statement. "While our Republican state leaders sit quietly by, we refuse to let hate filled racists terrorize our community."

White supremacist group seen exiting U-Haul vehicles, breaching contract

On Saturday, the group was seen exiting U-Haul vehicles, which violate the U-Haul rental contract. The terms and conditions for equipment rental section of the U-Haul rental contract state: "Customer shall require passengers to ride only in the cab of the truck, pickup truck, and van or vehicle towing any trailer.”

According to U-Haul Manager of Media and Public Relations, Jeff Lockridge, when a customer violates the rental agreement through the misuse of equipment by committing an illegal act, the company monitors and investigates the situation as well as offers support to law enforcement as requested.

"U-Haul is an inclusive company. Our customers reflect every walk of life – representing every demographic across every geographic area in the U.S. and Canada," Lockridge told The Tennessean in an email.

U-Haul provides moving equipment to individuals and not groups or organizations, said Lockridge.

"We do not ask customers about their personal views, political affiliations, religious beliefs, voting history, income level, educational background, race, gender, sexual preferences, or any other private information that is none of our business," he said.

"Our business is meeting the basic need of helping people achieve affordable, accessible residential mobility."

Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana