A neo-Nazi group marching in Ohio complained to police about facing an unprecedented backlash from residents, who pepper-sprayed and threw items at them in response to their hateful rhetoric.
This recent march in question took place November 16 in Columbus, Ohio, took place after a troubling rise in white supremacist activity.
The group, identified as "Hate Club 1844," marched through the Short North area, shouting racial slurs and displaying Nazi flags.
Confrontations with bystanders led to reports of pepper spray being used, though police determined the neo-Nazis were not the aggressors. This meant no arrests were made, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
"Our country is being invaded and white people are being ostracized," a member of the group told police as a reason for the march.
The marchers, equipped with weapons and protected by First Amendment rights, expressed shock at the public resistance they faced, calling the response hostile.
"I definitely feel your First Amendment rights to say whatever nonsense this is, but c'mon, man," one officer told a bystander. "The Buckeyes are playing. Man, come on."
In response to the incident, Governor Mike DeWine, along with other Ohio officials, have reiterated that hate and bigotry have no place in Ohio.
"We will not tolerate hate in Ohio," DeWine said in a statement on X. "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. There is no place in this state for hate, bigotry, antisemitism or violence, and we must denounce it wherever we see it."
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