A ragtag platoon of gun-carrying neo-Nazis marched through Ohio’s capital city on Saturday, hurling racial slurs and shouting anti-Semitic chants in a shocking display of white power amid the backdrop of trendy art galleries, gourmet restaurants, and chic boutique shops.
Footage of the hate-filled demonstration began circulating on social media the same afternoon, showing a group of about a dozen white supremacists parading through the entertainment district in downtown Columbus, known as Short North.
The marchers were dressed in all-black, cloaked in ninja masks imprinted with red skulls, and carrying large black flags with red swastikas. Witnesses compared the scene to Germany during WWII, noting the striking resemblance to Hitler’s SS guard troops, who were responsible for enforcing Nazi policies and overseeing concentration camps.
Their militaristic uniforms also recalled the fictional character Red Skull, a notorious Nazi agent and archenemy of Captain America, whose red skull-like face punctuates his relentless quest for world domination.
Masked neo #Nazis stormed through Columbus, #Ohio, waving swastika flags and spewing racist chants and slurs.
— Yahia Lababidi (@YahiaLababidi) November 17, 2024
Witnesses who confronted the march or captured it on camera said that some of the neo-Nazis were armed. https://t.co/hXZLvVsOaP
One of the neo-Nazis used a bullhorn, leaving residents and visitors appalled as racial tensions flared up unexpectedly in the vibrant heart of the city, which stretches roughly from the Ohio State University campus to the diverse cultural hub of downtown Columbus.
Police responded after a caller reported that a member of the group pepper-sprayed an innocent bystander, according to reports. Other calls indicated the group had used racial slurs toward people of color who were present on the street, making anti-Semitic remarks, and shouting “white power,” according to police.
Neo-Nazis marched through the streets of Columbus, Ohio today, clamoring for “white power.”
— Billie Marie (@TheBillieMarie) November 17, 2024
OHIO!!! This is in the UNITED STATES!!! pic.twitter.com/0qgofi4PVQ
Police reported no arrests after officers responded to a group dressed in black and carrying firearms and Nazi swastika signs at North High Street and East Lincoln Street around 1:20 p.m. Sunday. Officers were informed that the group may have been involved in a physical altercation with civilians in the area.
“Shortly after officers arrived on scene, the group left the area without incident,” Columbus Police Sgt. Joe Albert said in a statement issued after the incident. “Officers stopped a van the group left in a short distance away to investigate the potential assault that may have taken place. Many of the individuals inside the van were detained, however, it was later determined that an assault did not take place and all of the individuals were released.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued a statement denouncing the group’s actions.
“There is no place in this State for hate, bigotry, antisemitism, or violence,” he said. “We will not tolerate hate in Ohio,” he declared. “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.”
The episode left the city with a black eye, prompting swift condemnation from community advocates and city officials who condemned hate and racism.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther reaffirmed the city’s commitment to combating hate and bigotry, emphasizing that Columbus will continue to embrace tolerance and acceptance through its diverse community.
“Together, we reject the cowardly display reported in the Short North earlier today, and we will continue to monitor the situation in partnership with the Columbus Division of Police to ensure the safety and security of our city,” he said.
In a statement on his website, civil rights advocate Sean Walton Jr. condemned the march as “alarming and unacceptable,” calling it an assault on the community’s core values. Walton, who is running for NAACP Columbus president, emphasized the need for solidarity in rejecting hate and promoting the values of unity and justice.
“Let me be clear: hate has no home here. The actions of these protestors undermine the very fabric of what makes us strong — our diversity, unity, and shared commitment to justice and happiness for all,” Walton said. “While their goal may be to divide us, we must resist the temptation to respond with the same hate and aggression they spew. Instead, we must rise above and respond with the enduring power of love, resistance and collective commitment to community.”
Walton called on public officials to investigate those involved and to “take swift, collaborative steps to ensure that such actions are … prevented in the future.”
City Attorney Zach Klein also spoke out on X, telling those involved to, “take your flags and the masks you hide behind and go home and never come back. Your hate isn’t welcome in our city.”
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.
— Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein (@CityAttyKlein) November 16, 2024
Your hate isn’t welcome in our city. pic.twitter.com/m9JpOrwxZQ
Community activists blasted the hate march, calling out the offensive display despite its protection under the First Amendment.
“The vile display of hate by a small band of masked neo-Nazis in the Short North is another sad example of the bigotry that we have witnessed across the country,” American Jewish Committee regional director Lee C. Shapiro said in a statement. “AJC is grateful to the Columbus police for acting to quell this unauthorized march and for city officials’ forceful response to this act of cowardice. We cannot allow agitators to stoke fear in a city where diversity and tolerance is one of its hallmarks. Hate has no place in Columbus. Not now, not ever.”
City Council President Shannon Hardin blamed Donald Trump for the rise of hate groups, accusing him of emboldening them through his divisive rhetoric and dog whistles during the campaign and beyond.
“I’m sorry the President-elect has emboldened these creeps,” Hardin wrote. “This community rejects their pathetic efforts to promote fear and hate. Columbus will always stand with those they seek to intimidate.”
Police have not confirmed whether any of the marchers had been arrested.
The events in Columbus reflect a broader trend of hate-fueled demonstrations across the U.S., where extremist groups continue to exploit free speech protections to spread racism and bigotry.
The city of Nashville has also experienced a rising neo-Nazi presence, with white supremacists parading around, throwing up Nazi salutes, chanting racist slogans, waving swastika flags, and singing hate songs.
The situation escalated during one of these episodes back in July, when a small but aggressive group of white supremacists verbally assailed five young Black kids with racial slurs during a protest march in the city.
Metro Nashville Police escorted the children a block away from the incident but then allowed them to walk home by themselves, according to parents.
