Know Your Enemy: Patriot Front

Written by: KAMP Student Radio News

Published: October 5, 2021

A sinister threat has appeared on our campus. One that, while currently visible only through stickers and fliers, provides evidence of a hateful underground of individuals that have invaded our university. This threat being, the Patriot Front.

Who Are They:

The Patriot Front is a political organization that advocates for a distinctly American flavor of Fascism. Their beliefs center around white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and strong xenophobia. They believe that America is only for that descendant of the “founding stock”, and that non-whites (or anyone who does not support them) are enemies that need to be destroyed. (Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center) They are considered one of the more militant alt-right groups operating within the United States and push their members to train in fitness and martial combat. (Zidan and Anti-Defamation League)

The Patriot Front makes itself known through the proliferation of stickers, flyers, and carefully orchestrated demonstrations. (Southern Poverty Law Center)

Their Presence:

Patriot Front stickers have been found on light poles and utility boxes across campus, as well as in downtown Tucson and its outskirts. Recently, they have started to vandalize fliers for other student organizations, placing their own logo and QR codes over pre-existing ones.

Their fliers have been found posted on the various communal bulletin boards on campus, as well as tucked inside issues of the Daily Wildcat.

What You Can Do:

If the beliefs and actions of this group trouble you, you are not powerless to stop them. The best way to counter the Patriot Front is to strike at their propaganda effort. If you see their fliers, tear them down. If you see their stickers, peel or scratch them off, or cover them up. And if they make their presence known, make sure to tell them that they are not welcome here.

Example of propaganda in the Tucson general area.

Works Cited:

Anti-Defamation League. “Patriot Front.” Anti-Defamation League, Anti-Defamation League, https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/patriot-front.

Karim Zidan | October 30, 2020 4:29 pm. “Far-Right and White Supremacist Groups Are Training for Violence in the US .” Right Wing Watch, Right Wing Watch, 30 Oct. 2020, https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/far-right-and-white-supremacist-groups-are-training-for-violence-in-the-us/.

Southern Poverty Law Center. “Patriot Front.” Southern Poverty Law Center, Southern Poverty Law Center, https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/patriot-front.