White supremacists head to Washington ahead of Trump's July 4 party

US president Donald Trump’s “Salute to America” Fourth of July celebration will feature tanks, military plane flyovers—and potential clashes between white supremacists and counter-protestors.

Members of the Proud Boys, Identity Evropa (now known as the American Identity Movement) and the anti-fascist protesters who oppose them are planning to spend July 4th and the following weekend in Washington, DC, according to both the groups themselves and local law enforcement monitoring them.

“The FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights,” an FBI spokesperson told Quartz. “We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure public safety surrounding Fourth of July events.”

Trump will be the first US president in decades to speak at Washington, DC’s Independence Day celebration, turning what is usually a family-centered affair featuring fireworks and live music into a highly-politicized event. The celebration on the grassy National Mall between the US Capitol building and the Lincoln Memorial normally draws hundreds of thousands of spectators.

This time, it is also attracting draw protestors, counter-protestors, and a Trump baby blimp. It may also draw fewer families than usual from the city and surrounding areas. Washington, DC and adjacent Prince George’s county, Maryland, overwhelmingly voted against Trump in 2016. City residents have organized boycotts of the entire show, especially after learning that $2.5 million will be diverted from the country’s national parks budget to pay for it.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/white-supremacists-head-to-washington-ahead-of-trumps-july-4-party/ar-AADOkaE?li=BBnbcA1