NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Two days after white supremacists marched in Nashville, the mayor's office confirmed the group didn't have a permit to march in the city.
The group — calling themselves the Patriot Front — went through the streets of downtown Nashville on Saturday.
They continued to march through downtown with a "Reclaim America" banner, American flags, a Confederate flag, and passing out flyers while chanting on their way to the front of the Capitol. Some also held red, white, and blue shields.
They also spray-painted their logo under the Woodland St. Bridge, which is vandalism.
"The mayor has been emphatic that hate speech, even while legal, is not welcome in Nashville," said Alex Apple, spokesperson for Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell. "He has requested information from both MNPD and Metro Legal about known violations of law in recent demonstrations. While the past concern has been safety, we are 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."
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said the far-right group's position on anti-Semitism should not be condoned.
"My understanding is that group with anti-Semitic ties should be condemned at every level," Lee said. "Jewish people in this community and around the world have suffered for generations. It shouldn't be tolerated in any form. We've seen anti-Semitism rise up in this country, and we should stand up against it in every turn in our community."
Other Republican leadership in Tennessee haven't publicly rebuked the march. However, the Tennessee Democratic Party and the Nashville Jewish Federation both have done so.
In February, the group defaced the retaining wall in Brentwood on the side of Interstate 65. The Tennessee Department of Transportation had to paint over it.
Other racist flyers were passed out in downtown in February. Racist flyers have been spread around Nashville in the past.
Data from the Southern Poverty Law Center indicated the number of racist flyers found in Tennessee shot up from 21 reported incidents in 2018 to 268 last year.
