White nationalists march through Tennessee town

White nationalist and neo-Nazi groups took to the streets in two Tennessee towns on Saturday for so-called White Lives Matter rallies.

The rallies are being held in Shelbyville and Murfreesboro and have drawn hundreds of demonstrators and counterprotestors.

Local law enforcement officials urged residents ahead of Saturday to avoid the area where the rallies are taking place.

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The rallies are being held by the Nationalist Front, a coalition of white nationalist, white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups. Included are the Nationalist Socialist Movement, the League of the South and the Traditionalist Workers Party — all of which are considered either neo-Nazi or neo-Confederate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Video posted to Twitter shows a group of the white nationalists marching in Shelbyville while carrying shields and chanting “closed borders, white nation, now we start the deportation.” 

BREAKING: White nationalists march in to Shelbyville chanting “Closed borders, white nation, now we start the deportation.” pic.twitter.com/0KeuEKCIQv

— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) October 28, 2017

The group also chanted “blood and soil” during their march, a slogan that was adopted by German Nazis.

White nationalists chant Nazi Germany slogan “Blood and soil” in Shelbyville. Led by Brian Culpepper of National Socialist Movement. pic.twitter.com/DPGA2aOxCZ

— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) October 28, 2017

Counter protesters play I Have A Dream speech. Nazis start Blood and Soil chant. Wait to the end of the video. #Shelbyville pic.twitter.com/wi94m7fggQ

— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) October 28, 2017

The Shelbyville rally also drew a large number of counterprotestors, who dressed up in various outfits and sang “Amazing Grace” and other songs while the white nationalist leaders attempted to speak.

Anti racist protesters playing La Bamba while a member of the League of the South speaks pic.twitter.com/kbK4ZenNsk

— Blake Montgomery (@blakersdozen) October 28, 2017

Clergy leading “Amazing Grace” in #Shelbyville pic.twitter.com/WGGumWOMAA

— Blake Montgomery (@blakersdozen) October 28, 2017

Jennifer and Tina, protesters in #Shelbyville from Nashville: “If you’re yelling racists epithets and we’re clowns, who looks dumb?” pic.twitter.com/RpwbSgXrr5

— Blake Montgomery (@blakersdozen) October 28, 2017

Counterprotestors also played Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech as one of the white nationalists spoke.

Can’t really hear speech by prominent white supremacist Matthew Heimbach. Drowned out by recording of I HAVE A DREAM speech #Shelbyville pic.twitter.com/SeIhh3dIr6

— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) October 28, 2017

The Tennessee rallies come after a similar white nationalist and neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August. That rally turned violent when a car allegedly driven by a man with ties to neo-Nazi groups plowed through a crowd of people, killing one woman and injuring several others.