City officials in Columbus, Ohio, blasted a group of masked individuals who marched through the streets Saturday dressed in black and holding flags with swastikas on them.
The unidentified persons were spotted around 1 p.m. walking through the Short North neighborhood, according to Columbus ABC affiliate WSYX. Images and videos of the marchers went viral on social media sites.
The Columbus Police were dispatched, and the investigation is ongoing.
A photo of the Columbus, Ohio, skyline.
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“The Columbus community stands squarely against hatred and bigotry. We will not allow any of our neighbors to be intimidated, threatened or harmed because of who they are, how they worship or whom they love,” the City of Columbus said in a statement Saturday evening. “We embrace tolerance and acceptance, and derive great strength from our diversity. It is who we are as a people, and it is precisely what has enabled us to grow and thrive and reach new heights of excellence. 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.”
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein echoed those sentiments in a statement posted on X.
“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,” he said. “Your hate isn’t welcome in our city.”
Last week, a group of masked demonstrators were seen waving Nazi flags outside a production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in Howell, Michigan.
The protesters were asked to move and there were no arrests.