By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
A group of about a dozen Neo-Nazis marched in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, wearing red and black masks over their faces while carrying banners with swastikas.
Yet another deplorable display of hate has taken place in the weeks following former President Donald Trump's election.
Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.
A group of about a dozen Neo-Nazis marched in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, wearing red and black masks over their faces while carrying banners with swastikas. The group used a megaphone to shout racial slurs and other abuses at people passing by, including one man who challenged the group from his car, who was repeatedly called the N-word and told "get out of my country."
Police briefly detained some of the marchers, though no arrests were ultimately made, officers told local outlet WBNS. Community leaders have since condemned the rally, calling on law enforcement to investigate further. City Attorney Zach Klein said on X, formerly Twitter, that "my office has been in contact with Columbus Police regarding this march, and we will continue to monitor this hate group's actions."
"Take your flags and the masks you hide behind and go home and never come back. Your hate isn’t welcome in our city," Klein wrote.
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine also condemned the march in a statement online, writing that "we will not tolerate hate in Ohio."
"Neo-Nazis — their faces hidden behind red masks — roamed streets in Columbus today, carrying Nazi flags and spewing vile and racist speech against people of color and Jews. There were reports that they were also espousing white power sentiments," DeWine said. "There is no place in this state for hate, bigotry, antisemitism or violence, and we must denounce it wherever we see it."
As videos from the march circulated online, community members began drawing connections between recent displays of hate and Trump's victory, including the multiple waves of spam text messages to people of color and LGBTQ+ people after his election. One user speculated that "you can bet these were emboldened Trump voters" while another shared the footage with the note: "This is Trump America, y'all."
Columbus leadership also directly cited Trump's platform and rhetoric as a source of fuel for hate groups, with City Council President Shannon Hardin accusing him of "embolden[ing]" them.
"I’m sorry the President-elect has emboldened these creeps," he wrote. "This community rejects their pathetic efforts to promote fear and hate. Columbus will always stand with those they seek to intimidate."
