VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Authorities say a white nationalist group that marched in Virginia Beach on Memorial Day weekend did not require a permit because the gathering met legal requirements and did not pose a public safety threat.

Video obtained by Nexstar’s WAVY showed about 30 people wearing matching clothing and white masks while carrying Confederate flags and flags associated with Patriot Front — widely recognized as a white nationalist organization — near the Naval Aviation Monument on 38th Street.

A video taken Saturday, May 23, showed masked marchers carrying the flags in the Oceanfront district.

Police said officers monitored the group’s activity and determined there was “no public safety threat.” Authorities also said the march did not require a permit because the group did not block roadways, complied with the law, and did not meet the threshold based on gathering size.

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But the appearance of Patriot Front prompted concerns from community members and civil rights leaders. Experts who track extremist organizations identify Patriot Front as a white nationalist hate group that split from Vanguard America following the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va.

“What was the motive for being there and being down there? Were they trying to make a statement or send us a signal of what’s to come?” said NAACP Virginia Beach Chapter President Eric Majette.

Members of the Virginia Beach chapter of the NAACP are shocked.

“I told the police chief, this is not a good look for Virginia Beach,” Majette said.

Questions also remain about whether members of the group could face scrutiny under Virginia’s mask law. State law says it is unlawful for anyone over age 16 to wear a mask or other face covering with the intent to conceal their identity. WAVY asked Virginia Beach police why members of the group were not charged in connection with the statute.

On Tuesday, Virginia Beach Police confirmed the group was associated with the Patriot Front and also provided a response about the masking law.

“In this recent case, the involved group would have been treated no differently than we have treated prior groups wearing masks, asserting their First Amendment rights, and engaging in political discourse within the City of Virginia Beach, which has been to monitor and ensure there is no risk to community safety,” the police department said.

Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer told WAVY by phone that he denounces everything the group stands for, but other local leaders say the city should stay vigilant for any future marches like this one.

“First of all, I do not in any way, shape or form align my views with what they stand for,” Dyer said.

“Every city’s going to handle situations differently, but once again this group came, we didn’t know about it and it was peaceful,” Dyer said.

But Majette, of the NAACP, said officials may have ignored concerns from within their own community.

“Moments like these, I think, number one, we shouldn’t downplay it. Like, ‘Oh, they showed up and left.’ We shouldn’t downplay it, and be more sensitive for citizens. There were a lot of people afraid,” Majette said.

Georgia F. Allen, first vice president for the Virginia Beach NAACP chapter, also said “We’re concerned about this becoming a pattern or practice.”

Leaders hope it does not.

“I just really pray for peace and tranquillity in the world today,” Dyer said.

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In a statement, Majette said the group’s presence at the Oceanfront sparked “numerous communications” to the Virginia Beach NAACP branch from locals who felt unsafe.

“While the group may not have shouted words during their march, they carried instruments and symbols of hate in the flags and imagery they displayed,” reads the statement, in part. “Silence does not erase the message being communicated. The symbolism associated with extremist organizations is designed to intimidate, divide, and remind marginalized communities that hatred still exists openly in public spaces.

“That reality should concern every leader in our city.”

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