Patriot Front Faces Default in Black History Vandalism Case

The white nationalist group Patriot Front and its founder, Thomas Rousseau, are facing default in a lawsuit over the vandalism of a majority-Black neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia.

In 2021, members of Patriot Front spray painted over a mural of Black tennis star Arthur Ashe in a Richmond park. Located in a majority-Black neighborhood in Ashe’s hometown, the mural had special significance for the neighborhood. Patriot Front filmed themselves painting their logo over Ashe’s face and a plaque that described him as “the first African-American man inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.” One man on the video can be heard calling Ashe a “fucking n****r.”

The vandalism was an act of intimidation, two Richmond residents who live near the park claimed in a lawsuit filed last year. The plaintiffs, whose names are withheld in the case, accuse Patriot Front of targeting the majority-Black neighborhood, making residents feel unsafe.

Read more at The Daily Beast.