White Nationalist Hate Group Messages Displayed on Alabama Interstate Sign in Memorial Day Hack

An investigation into the apparent hack has been launched, officials said.

alabama interstate scene pictured
Image via Getty/Jeremy Poland
alabama interstate scene pictured

Memorial Day travelers in Alabama were met with an alleged interstate sign hack in which messages associated with a white nationalist hate group were shown.

As first reported by regional outlet AL.com on Monday, the alleged hack in question targeted a digital traffic sign near the Clanton area, resulting in the temporary display of the phrases “Patriot Front US” and “Reclaim America.” 

Both signs were pictured in a tweet from a traveler who said a state trooper “waved me to go on” after snapping the images, as seen below.

Patriot Front is listed in the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)’s Extremist Files as a “white nationalist hate group” founded in 2017. The group, further identified as an an SPLC-designated hate group, first broke off from the neo-Nazi Vanguard America group following the fatal Unite the Right rally in Virginia.

According to the report, which cited a statement from an Alabama Department of Transportation rep, the hack—which the spokesperson said targeted a “portable message board” owned by a contractor—will now be the subject of an investigation. Additionally, the rep said, “no other message boards” on the interstate were hacked.

Complex has reached out to reps for the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency for comment. This story may be updated.

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