Officials in Ohio have responded strongly after armed individuals wearing masks and carrying Nazi flags marched through Columbus on Saturday afternoon. The group, dressed in black and holding flags with swastikas on them, was observed in the Short North area around 1 pm, as reported by WSYX, the local ABC affiliate.
The Columbus Police Department confirmed that whilst some individuals were temporarily detained following reports of a possible physical confrontation, no arrests were made after determining no assault had occurred. The authorities noted that the participants were carrying firearms.
Ohio’s republican governor Mike DeWine issued a statement via X, saying, “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.” He emphasised that hatred, bigotry, antisemitism and violence have no place in Ohio.
The City of Columbus released an official statement expressing solidarity against hatred and bigotry, affirming their commitment to protecting all residents regardless of their identity, faith or relationships. They highlighted the city’s values of tolerance and acceptance, whilst condemning the demonstration in the Short North area.
Columbus City attorney Zach Klein posted on X, directly addressing the demonstrators, saying, “To those involved in the neo-Nazi march in the Short North today, take your flags and the masks you hide behind and go home and never come back. Your hate isn’t welcome in our city.”
This incident follows a similar demonstration in Howell, Michigan, where masked protesters displayed Nazi flags outside a production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” the previous week. Those protesters were instructed to relocate, and no arrests were made.