Activists behind the Women’s March in Knoxville have been forced to change their route and ramp up security measures in the wake of neo-Nazi plans to hijack the event.

The march, which takes place on Sunday, coincides with similar events across the US this weekend which mark the first anniversary of the Women’s March against Donald Trump.

Activists took to the streets in 60 countries and on seven continents to promote equal rights for women and defend marginalised women after the US president’s inauguration a year ago.

But the second annual Women’s March in the Tenessee city has faced resistance from a self-avowed nationalist socialist group aligned with the so-called “alt right” – a political movement widely accused of racism, antisemitism, and misogyny.

The Traditionalist Worker’s Party (TWP), a far right group in favour of a white-only nation state, has planned a counter-demonstration to the Women’s March.

Matthew Heimbach, who leads the organisation the Southern Poverty Centre classifies as a hate group, told Newsweek they estimated the turnout at the protest to be around 50 to 60 members.

The 26-year-old, who openly expresses his respect for Adolf Hitler and is a holocaust denier, played a role in promoting the “White Lives Matter” rally which took place in Tennessee in October. But his speech at the event was drowned out by counter-protesters playing Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have A Dream” speech.

Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Women's rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time's Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street in London. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Berlin Women's March in Berlin. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up Women's March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women's March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual abuse. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris Women hold a banner reading "still feminist" with the Eiffel tower in background on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Protesters hold up placards at the Women's March in central London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris A demonstator hold signs on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris during a women's march organised as part of global protests. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Chanting Times Up in the cold rain - On the anniversary of the Women's March on London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands of people gather holding protest signs on Central Park West. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Demonstrators take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago A woman holds a sign during the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington Supporters gather during the Women's March in Washington AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York The crowd lines up near Central Park Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago Demostrators attend the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands hold signs and rally while attending the Women’s March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People hold signs up during the women's march Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Oscar Janicki, 6, participates in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Crowds gather to participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Women pose as they attend the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather prior to the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather the second annual National Womens March AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "Womwn united will never be defeated" during Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome Italian actress Asia Argento (3rdL) attends the Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown Rome. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome The Women's March Rome, designed to show solidarity for the protection of civil and social rights, women's rights and the environment included Italian actress Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse US film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Zurich A US citizen holds a poster on the anniversary of the inauguration of President Trump apologising to the world on behalf of her country, in Zurich, Switzerland. A year after millions of people took to the streets across the US and countries around the world, women's marches are being held in lots of cities this weekend. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "The rising of the women means rising of us all" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty Images Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman lifts her fist while holding a banner reading "Hear our voice" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty

Writing in a blog post on the TWP’s site published earlier in January, the far right activist who has been christened “The Little Fuhrer” said: “As the defenders and advocates of women and our children, the Traditionalist Worker Party is taking a stand in Knoxville Tennessee on Sunday January 21st against the proposed feminist march and in support of the March for Life being held the same day.

“Any movement that doesn’t defend the sanctity of life is not a movement worth having. If we are to build a free nation for our children, we must first secure life for our children.”

This stands in stark contrast to the aims of the Women’s March which Kimberley Peterson, spokeswoman for the Women’s March Coalition of East Tennessee, describes the goal as being a “celebration” and a “positive upbeat event”.

While the Women's March had initially been planned to kick off at 1pm on Sunday from Market Square, it has been moved to an enclosed area in Krutch Park and will follow a different route to last year due to the security concerns. Ms Peterson said they were working in conjunction with the Knoxville Police Department to make sure demonstrators were safe.

Local anti-racist groups The Holler Network and Nashville Anti-Racist action lambasted Mr Heimbach and his “hoard of human garbage followers”. Explaining their reasoning for confronting the counter demonstrators, they urged people to join forces to “help us take this trash the f*** out of East Tennessee”.

“From indigenous resistance to militant maroon communities, to multiracial labour strikes and prisoner uprisings, to the very existence of tight-knit black and brown communities across these hills, we know Appalachia has never been and will never be their all-white vision - as long as we continue to resist,” they said in a statement on It’s Going Down, a platform for anti-fascist activism.

Despite the TWP saying they plan to join anti-abortion activists in Knoxville, the activists behind the March To Life have rejected the far right group’s plans.

“Any group or individual that promotes white supremacy or other dehumanizing world views, are not in tandem with the position of Tennessee Right to Life on the value of every person’s dignity and life,” Ed Albin, a Tennessee Right to Life leader, said in a Facebook post.

“Our organisation’s march has a single agenda to support the rights of mothers and the unborn, and we don’t agree with the violent agenda of white supremacists or Antifa.”

The threat of far right violence in the US has grown in recent years and could be seen in full force at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville over the summer which saw anti-fascist activists clash with neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members and far right supporters.