NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Neighbors in East Nashville are working to transform a symbol of hate into a community mural after graffiti tied to the white nationalist group Patriot Front appeared on a historic silo about a month ago.
The silo, located on Crutcher Street at a local mulch company, was vandalized with the words "Patriot Front" painted on its side. The property owner, who asked not to be named, says the city has not offered assistance in removing the graffiti. Instead, Metro Property Standards has issued demands, imposed a deadline, and threatened fines of up to $50 per day if the graffiti is not removed.
The owner said the city's response has put the burden entirely on the victim.
"Rather than working with us to remove a hateful message from our community, Metro's approach has been to threaten penalties against the victim of the vandalism while expecting the property owner to shoulder the entire financial burden," the owner said.
Council member Clay Capp says the deadline for the property owner to clean up the graffiti is Monday. If it is not cleaned up by then, Capp said he will urge Metro Codes to seek enforcement. Capp says Metro Property Standards are in place for all property owners.
Property standards apply to property owners generally. The Codes Department (which is to say, the city taxpayer) doesn’t have a responsibility to pay to keep private property up to standard. That’s the property owner’s responsibility. I am hopeful this property will be back up to standard by Monday, in the period for compliance required by state law and provided by the Codes Department. Otherwise the property owner will be explaining to the city why he chose not to do that.
No police report has been filed in connection with the vandalism. Patriot Front is a white nationalist organization.
Area resident Ande Marie said she noticed the graffiti during her daily commute through the neighborhood.
"I saw it myself. I drive by this neighborhood every day. I live in the area. You can see it from I-24," Marie said.
Marie said the graffiti was immediately recognizable and unacceptable.
"I saw it, and I'm familiar with what that group stands for. And obviously, a lot of us don't stand for what they stand for. So it really was just a community initiative where a lot of us saw it and wanted to do something about it ourselves," Marie said.
Rather than simply removing the graffiti, Marie and other neighbors saw an opportunity to make a stronger statement.
"Unfortunately, they are good at understanding the value of propaganda. So we should fight back with stronger propaganda," Marie said.
"First of all, we'd want to see it removed clearly. The owner had been working on this already, but we also just saw it as an opportunity to, you know, like, do more, send a stronger message," Marie said.
The community has launched the Reclaim the East Nashville Silo: A Community Mural Project, and a fundraiser is now underway.
"We have a fundraiser that started today, and so this is fully for any donation, any amount people can give," Marie said.
The property owner, who wants to be anonymous, said the community response has been encouraging.
I’m the owner of the property that was vandalized by the group Patriot Front.
Unfortunately, the public deserves to know what has happened since the original coverage. Despite public statements condemning the graffiti, Metro has offered us absolutely no assistance in removing it. This is an expensive and dangerous project that requires renting an 80-foot lift, purchasing paint, sprayers, and other equipment.
Instead of offering help, Metro Property Standards has issued demands, imposed a deadline, and threatened fines of up to $50 per day if the graffiti is not removed.
I would encourage you to ask Councilmember Clay Capp, Mike Morgan, and Julie Yriart of Metro Property Standards a simple question: What tangible assistance have you provided to help remove this hate message? When I requested, I was given a hard no.
Tennessee law gives municipalities the authority to assist property owners with graffiti remediation. When I asked whether Metro would help cover any of the costs, the request was dismissed. The response wasn’t one of partnership—it was one of enforcement.
Rather than working with us to remove a hateful message from our community, Metro’s approach has been to threaten penalties against the victim of the vandalism while expecting the property owner to shoulder the entire financial burden.
Fortunately, something positive has come from this. I’m now partnering with Hate Free Tennessee to transform the silo into a community-funded mural that truly represents East Nashville. Local artists, volunteers, and community members are stepping up where Clay Capp and Metro chose not to.
The project will be funded entirely through community donations to hire local muralists, rent the necessary equipment, and purchase materials.
If you’re willing, I would greatly appreciate your help in sharing the fundraiser and letting people know this project is moving forward:
Reclaiming the East Nashville Silo – Community Mural Project [chuffed.org]
I hope any follow-up story reflects not only the vandalism itself, but also how the community—not the city—is ultimately coming together to erase the hate and replace it with something everyone can be proud of. Please keep my name anonymous.
Thank you.
Marie said organizers are moving quickly to get the project underway.
"So now we're hoping that as long as we have a plan in place, we can try and get this going as soon as possible," Marie said.
Organizers say they would also welcome help from local businesses and community groups as they work to transform the silo into something positive.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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