Columbus, Ohio Neo-Nazi Outrage: President Biden Denounces “Sickening Display”

Ohio officials and community leaders have condemned a neo-Nazi march through the Short North Arts District Saturday afternoon. The “demonstration” involved about a dozen masked people clothed in black, parading with swastika flags and shouting racial slurs. The situation sparked widespread outrage and a swift response from local and national leaders.

The Incident

The march occurred around 1:30 p.m. and drew attention as the group waved black flags with swastikas, repeating the n-word. Videos of the event show the group marching past local businesses, shouting through a bullhorn.

Eyewitnesses reported a confrontation between the group and some bar/restaurant patrons, which the marchers allegedly used pepper spray. Columbus police detained some participants briefly, but no arrests were made.

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Condemnation

Mayor Andrew Ginther called the march a “cowardly display” and reaffirmed the city’s commitment to standing against hate and bigotry.

“We will not allow any of our neighbors to be intimidated, threatened, or harmed because of who they are, how they worship, and whom they love,” he wrote on social media.

Governor Mike DeWine described the demonstration as “vile and racist.” He stated that, “There is no place in this state for hate, bigotry, antisemitism, or violence, and we must denounce it wherever we see it.”

The White House also weighed in. President Joe Biden denounced the march as a “sickening display”, amid the troubling rise in antisemitic rhetoric/violence in the U.S.. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said:

“Hate directed against any of us is a threat to every single one of us.”

Community Response and Unity Rally

In response to Saturday’s incident, Columbus attorney Sean Walton helped organize a unity march on Sunday. About 30 Black men participated in the peaceful rally, retracing the same route as the neo-Nazi group. Several Short North businesses also took action during the neo-Nazi march. Some created safe spaces for customers and locked doors to protect patrons.

RELATED: Jury Finds Former CPD Officer Guilty of Andre Hill Murder

 

A Growing National Concern

The recent demonstration is part of a larger trend… White supremacist events have reached record numbers in the past year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Similar neo-Nazi incidents have unfolded in cities across the country, including Michigan, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Leaders and community members are emphasizing the importance of unity in combating hate. As President Biden stated, “This sickening display … is hostile to everything the United States stands for, including protecting the dignity of all our citizens and the freedom to worship.”

 

 

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