NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Multiple Tennessee lawmakers took to social media Saturday afternoon to notify the Nashville community about a group of masked people marching through downtown with swastika flags.
Just before 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) posted a video on X — formerly known as Twitter — showing a group of people in red shirts, black pants, and black balaclavas walking along the sidewalk on the other side of the street, with some of them carrying flags bearing the swastika.
“Just left an event honoring a Black sorority and spoke of the need to unite against the rising tide of white supremacy, only to be confronted by Nazis marching through downtown Nashville,” Jones wrote. “This is exactly what my Republican colleagues hate speech is fostering and inviting.”
In his clip, Jones said the marchers were talking about white supremacy, neo-Nazism, deportation, and “just racial hatred.”
A NewsNation affiliate WKRN employee spotted the group on Broadway shortly afterward and took a video. In that video, you can hear the marchers chanting, with one person yelling, “Deportation,” and others following with “Saves the nation.”
Then, at 2:27 p.m., state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) posted a picture of the group outside what appeared to be the Historic Metro Courthouse, saying, “our office is closely monitoring the Nazi rally downtown— these groups once relegated to the dark corners now feel empowered to spew their noxious ideology out in the open due to our state’s leadership REFUSING to condemn their speech and actions.”
Nashville Vice Mayor Angie Henderson shared Behn’s post and added her own thoughts: “That I even have to say this. NAZIS are NOT WELCOME in NASHVILLE. In America everyone is free to demonstrate & to say what they want, so: SHAME ON YOU ALL! Get your hateful, dangerous, fascist, nazi nonsense off our streets & off our beautiful Public Square.”
WKRN discussed the march with Behn, who said the group members were apparently wearing the insignia for the Blood Tribe, which she called a “neo-Nazi group that is well-documented.”
House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) shared a video posted by another X user of the group marching through the Broadway area, writing, “Go away Nazi thugs. This is Tennessee and you are NOT welcome here. Btw, why not show your faces so we can all see who you are? I would be willing to bet that none of you are from anywhere near here.”
“I look forward to Leader @WilliamLamberth being the first co-sponsor on my imminent resolution condemning today’s Nazi march through downtown Nashville,” Behn said in response to Lamberth’s post.
Another GOP lawmaker, state Rep. Jody Barrett (R-Dickson), posted a negative statement about the demonstration: “This is a made-for-clicks, fake clown show. These idiots are either paid performers or low IQ low-lifes who need to go back home to their mothers’ basements. Either way they are worthy of all the ridicule and scorn we can muster.”
State Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D-Nashville) shared the video of the group on Broadway recorded by a WKRN employee and wrote, “For lent, I give and take away something everyday. Today, I am giving advice to these Nazi’s and telling them hate has no home here. We are a loving, welcoming community in Nashville and your message will be ignored as it falls on deaf ears. Love > Hate.”
Jewish Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin told WKRN about how he wrapped up an East Bank walk, headed to a charity event, and immediately got calls asking if he was okay: “My response to them was kind of, sadly, ‘I’m almost used to it at this point.’ Over the summer, we experienced a number of instances where people dropped antisemitic literature on people’s doorsteps, and there was an incident where someone painted a swastika on buildings.”
Both Kupin and Behn said they’ve been in contact with law enforcement and safety officials to keep an eye on the situation. However, Behn called for more to be done by fellow lawmakers.
“I think this state emboldens the far right by the hateful rhetoric that is at the state legislature and by refusing to call out a Tennessee that is very scary for a lot of communities across our state, including our Jewish communities and our Muslim communities,” Behn explained.
According to Kupin, he still feels safe in Nashville, but he urged anyone hurt or concerned by Saturday’s demonstration to reach out for resources, like those at the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville: “We are still a safe city, we are a supportive city, and we need to all have each other’s backs as we go through this.”
While Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) did not directly refer to the march, he did post on X Saturday evening, saying, “Nazism and antisemitism should never be tolerated in any form. As Jewish people around the world continue to face persecution, Tennessee remains unwavering in our support for the nation of Israel and her people.”
WKRN reached out to the Metro Nashville Police Department to ask whether there have been any complaints or reports about the group.
Authorities told WKRN they were aware a “group of Neo-Nazi demonstrators” — some of whom carried flags with swastikas and most of whom wore face coverings — walked around the Capitol and parts of downtown Nashville Saturday afternoon, adding that some people on Broadway challenged the group. Then, the group reportedly headed to a U-Haul box truck, got in, and left Davidson County.
No additional details have been released about the demonstration or those involved.