By Ian Nickens

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) -- A group designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group marched through downtown Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday afternoon.

A KMBC 9 News photographer captured footage of the group preparing for the march at the Liberty Memorial.

The group, identified as Patriot Front by the flags they waved and patches on their clothing, wore hats, white masks, navy blue shirts and tan pants. Some members carried shields and others waved upside-down American flags, Confederate flags and flags bearing the Patriot Front logo.

Officers with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department estimate there were about 100 people in the group. Police say they were not aware of the group's plans ahead of time, since they do not advertise their demonstrations. Officers add that the group is from out of town and most likely did not involve anyone local to the metro.

The SPLC describes Patriot Front as a white nationalist hate group that broke off from a neo-Nazi group following the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.

The SPLC says the group has destroyed murals dedicated to George Floyd and other victims of police violence, murals of civil rights leaders, and protested LGBTQ-focused events.

After the march, onlookers told KMBC 9 that the group loaded into U-Haul trucks and left the area.

Following the march, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas posted on X, saying:

"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."

The National WWI Museum and Memorial released a statement:

"The National WWI Museum and Memorial is aware of yesterday's gathering on the public grounds surrounding our institution. 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. We stand firmly against hatred, bigotry and divisiveness in all forms.

Our grounds include public park space where various groups may gather, but such use should never be interpreted as our endorsement of any particular viewpoint. The Museum and Memorial remains committed to serving as a place of learning, reflection and unity for all visitors.

This Memorial Day, as we do every day, we honor the lives of those who died in defense of liberty and freedom. This Memorial, a beacon for democracy, reminds us all of core values that seek to unite us and create a just and lasting peace for all nations."

Police did not arrest anyone involved in the march.

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