Graffiti advertising what the SPLC calls "White Nationalist Hate Group" in Birmingham
![WVTM logo]()
Updated: 7:13 PM CST Jan 27, 2023
AT SIX STARTS NOW. NOW, THIS MORNING, IF YOU WERE DRIVING ALONG RED MOUNTAIN, YOU MAY HAVE MET WITH GRAFFITI ADVERTISING. WHAT THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER CALLS A WHITE NATIONALIST HATE GROUP. GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M IAN AND I’M BRITTANY DECKER. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US HERE AT 6:00. THAT GRAFFITI BY A GROUP NAMED PATRIOT FRONT WVTM 13 MATTIE DAVIS JOINING US LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM TONIGHT. AND THIS IS REALLY ALARMING TO SOME IN THE COMMUNITY. YEAH, IN A BEAVERTON 13 VIEWER CALL TO LET US KNOW ABOUT THE MESSAGING ON THE MOUNTAIN. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EXPRESSWAY HERE BEHIND ME, YOU CAN SEE IT TO YOUR RIGHT IF YOU’RE HEADING INTO DOWN TOWN, BIRMINGHAM. BUT IT’S CLEARLY VISIBLE, GOING EITHER DIRECTION. THE IDEAS OF THIS GROUP PATRIOT FRONT, SOMETHING THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SAYS THEY WILL NOT TOLERATE. RECLAIM AMERICA POSTED ON RED MOUNTAIN. ERIC HOME WITH BIRMINGHAM. BLACK LIVES MATTER FINDS THIS EXTREMELY DISTURBING. IT’S NOT JUST GRAFFITI IS HATE. IT’S A HATE MESSAGE. AND IT WAS PLACED IN A VERY INTENTIONAL PLACE. PAUL SAYS THE GROUP PATRIOT FRONT IS ROOTED IN WHITE SUPREMACY. THE MISSION, ACCORDING TO THEIR WEBSITE, IS TO, QUOTE, RETURN TO THE TRADITIONS AND VIRTUES OF OUR FOREFATHERS. IT’S NOT PATRIOTIC AT ALL. IN FACT, I FIND IT A DISGRACE. LAST SUMMER, THE GROUP MARKED VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS IN BIRMINGHAM COUNCIL FOR THE TANYA TATE WORKED TO GET IT COVERED UP. WE WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY HATE OR RACISM LANGUAGE. THE RETURN OF THE MESSAGING NOT TAKEN LIGHTLY. WE DEFINITELY DO NOT WANT TO CONTINUE TO TO FOR INDIVIDUALS TO COME INTO THIS CITY TO DRIVE RACE RACIAL DIVIDE. PAUL SAYS EACH SECOND IT’S UP. THE MORE DAMAGED DONE. WE ARE IN A VERY TENSE STATE AND THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO PUT ONE RACE OVER ANOTHER. TO HIM, THERE’S ONLY ONE ANSWER. IT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED. IT NEEDS TO COME DOWN IMMEDIATELY. SOMETHING COUNCILOR TATE SAYS THE CITY WILL DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO DO. WE ARE A CITY OF UNITY. WE’RE A CITY OF LOVE. AND THAT’S THE SPIRIT THAT WE WANT TO OPERATING IN. AND AGAIN, TO THOSE THAT ARE COMING INTO THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT, YOU WILL BE PROSECUTE AND WE WILL NOT TOLERATE HATE. AND THE CITY TELLS US THIS AREA IS ACTUALLY MAINTAINED BY THE STATE. THEY SAY THAT AL DOT HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE GRAFFITI BEHIND ME AND IS ADDRESSING IT LIVE IN BIRMIN
Graffiti advertising what the SPLC calls "White Nationalist Hate Group" in Birmingham
![WVTM logo]()
Updated: 7:13 PM CST Jan 27, 2023
New graffiti has appeared on Red Mountain Expressway promoting "Patriot Front," a group the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a designated hate group. The painting says "Reclaim America," a call of action by the group to "return to the traditions and virtues of our forefathers."Eric Hall, with Birmingham Black Lives Matter, finds the messaging extremely alarming."It's not just graffiti," Hall said. "It's hate. It's a hate message. And, it was placed in a very intentional place.” Last summer, the group marked various neighborhoods in Birmingham. City Councilor LaTonya Tate worked to get the messages covered up. “I really want to send that message out to the ones that seem to keep coming into the city and doing it that we will not tolerate it,” Tate told WVTM 13. The city of Birmingham said the area where the graffiti is located on Red Mountain Expressway is maintained by the Alabama Department of Transportation, which is addressing it.
New graffiti has appeared on Red Mountain Expressway promoting "Patriot Front," a group the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a designated hate group.
The painting says "Reclaim America," a call of action by the group to "return to the traditions and virtues of our forefathers."
Eric Hall, with Birmingham Black Lives Matter, finds the messaging extremely alarming.
"It's not just graffiti," Hall said. "It's hate. It's a hate message. And, it was placed in a very intentional place.”
Last summer, the group marked various neighborhoods in Birmingham. City Councilor LaTonya Tate worked to get the messages covered up.
“I really want to send that message out to the ones that seem to keep coming into the city and doing it that we will not tolerate it,” Tate told WVTM 13.
The city of Birmingham said the area where the graffiti is located on Red Mountain Expressway is maintained by the Alabama Department of Transportation, which is addressing it.
