RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- If you drove along Powhite Parkway in the Richmond area on Friday, you may have seen a large sign hanging from an overpass. Experts say this sign, while offensive, only has as much power as people give it, as it represents the beliefs of just "a few anonymous cowards." The s ign, which our 8News team witnessed the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 11, was painted with a phrase linked to a white supremacist and neofascist group called Patriot Front. If you're a Virginian who knows about Patriot Front, it's likely because you're familiar with the incident that preceded its formation: the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. Even so, Patriot Front is a relatively small group with less than 600 members, according to Christopher Whyte, an associate professor of homeland security and emergency preparedness at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). These low numbers mean it has minimal influence on everyday people or events. Wythe described Patriot Front as "not especially relevant," adding that signs like this one are "cheap ways" to increase visibility. Not only that, but they create a false idea in peoples' minds that these groups have far more power than they actually do. "The thing that's hard for people to wrap their head around is that there is almost always not as much of a realistic political support basis [for] organizations like this that are on the fringes [and] intentionally subversive," Wythe said. "It's the idea of their existence that has the real power." Wythe emphasized that no one -- especially those who are part of the groups that Patriot Front speaks out against, such as Jewish, Black and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as immigrants -- should feel intimidated by this sign. "A banner being put up by a few anonymous cowards is not Richmond speaking," he said. A sign from white supremacist group Patriot Front hung on an overpass above Powhite Parkway. The sign has been censored to avoid spreading Patriot Front's message. (Photo: Deniel Dookan/8News)A sign from white supremacist group Patriot Front hung on an overpass above Powhite Parkway. The sign has been censored to avoid spreading Patriot Front's message. (Photo: Deniel Dookan/8News) 8News Producer Samantha Game asked Wythe why Patriot Front may have chosen Friday, the 25th anniversary of 9/11, as the day to hang up signs like the one over Powhite Parkway. Wythe explained that Patriot Front differs from other neo-Nazi organizations in that it deliberately tries to wrap its beliefs up in patriotic symbols and ideas. "They're basically just trying to repackage white supremacy in the visual language of American patriotism," Wythe said. For these reasons, the group is typically rather active on days like Memorial Day and Labor Day, when American patriotism is at its strongest. The anniversary of 9/11 is another such day. So what should you do if you see a sign or other material from groups like Patriot Front hanging around the Richmond area? Wythe said you should never confront someone you see posting this kind of material, but you can document what you're seeing if you can do so safely. If it's been posted on public property, consider contacting the relevant authorities. If it's posted on private property, you can let the owner know. "Also, don't assume that seeing propaganda means that the place you're seeing it is tied to it in any way," he said, adding that this is "exactly the thought they want to provoke" by posting said propaganda. ...read more read less