A group of neo-Nazis caused outrage in a historically Black Ohio community after they draped white supremacist signs from a busy overpass while armed with rifles and waving around swastika flags.
Residents were shocked when 13 men waved six bright red flags with a swastika plastered in the middle above I-75 near Lincoln Heights and Evendale in the Cincinnati area on Friday afternoon.
Among the group’s disturbing display was a large sign that read: ‘America for the White Man.’
‘We’re a community at heart, and a proud historical African American community,’ Lincoln Heights Village Council member Daronce Daniels told Local 12 News.
‘So things of that nature don’t stand here, you know, that’s a symbol of hate,’ Daniels added. ‘We’re a community of pride and love.’
Traffic cameras captured the men, each dressed in black clothing and red face masks, as they hung white supremacy messages off of the overpass.
Among swastika symbols, the banners also displayed Anti-Defamation League symbols – often used by white supremacist groups and the Nazi party.
Jamaal Howard, a Lincoln Heights resident, told Local 12 News that he couldn’t believe what he was seeing while on the way home from school.
Outrage erupted in a historically Black Ohio community after a group of neo-Nazis wearing all black draped white supremacist signs off a busy overpass while waving around swastika flags
Early Friday afternoon, traffic cameras captured nearly a dozen men, each dressed in black clothing and red face masks, as they hung white supremacy messages off of the overpass and yelled at drivers passing through
The protest took place above I-75 near Lincoln Heights and Evendale in the Cincinnati area
Several of the neo-Nazis were armed with rifles during the protest
‘I’m like, wow, are we still doing that in 2025?,’ Howard told the outlet.
‘We just have to have some meetings about it because I’m fearing for my life, like I walk outside all the time, and now I have to be in fear just in case anything could happen.’
The Evendale Police Department responded to the ‘unannounced protest’ shortly after 2pm where they said they were working on ‘keeping the peace.’ Traffic cameras showed dozens of patrol cars blocking off traffic on the overpass.
The sickening display led to a counter-protest from residents who said that hate has absolutely no place in their communities.
‘You will not win,’ Julian Cook, a pastor in Lincoln Heights, told WCPO News. ‘You will not win. You may try, but we have a history of being able to push past these things, as difficult as they may be. You will not win.’
Shortly before 3pm, residents began to retaliate. Nearly 100 people yelled at the neo-Nazi group to leave, quickly leading to a confrontation.
One of the people who confronted the protestors, 16-year-old Ethan Eley, told The Enquirer that he pulled off the highway after reading a sign that read along the lines of, ‘Save the white man’s America.’
Eley said police were trying to keep the two groups separated while dozens of people continued to confront the neo-Nazis.
The sickening display led to a counter-protest from residents who said that hate has absolutely no place in their communities
Officers of the Evendale Police Department responded to the protest that they called ‘offensive but not unlawful’ where they blocked off the road and attempted to ‘keep the peace’
More than 20 residents ended up breaking through the police barricades and rushed towards the men, who began packing their items into a UHaul parked nearby, before snatching a swastika flag from them
One officer, who was armed with an AR-15 style rifle, pushed back residents who had come to the scene in opposition, according to Eley.
More than 20 residents ended up breaking through the police barricades and rushed towards the men, who began packing their items into a U-Haul parked nearby.
During the rush, someone ended up snatching one of the flags, WCPO reported.
‘The Nazis began to back off,’ Eley told The Enquirer. ‘They quickly jumped in the back of the U-Haul truck and took off.’
‘There was just a general sense of unity for pushing people like that out of their community,’ he added.
One women counter-protesting the group pulled out lighter fluid and set the flag ablaze, as others joined in – stepping and spitting on the burning flag.
Residents also slashed the tires of a Jeep which they believed belonged to one of the men in the group.
Once the U-Haul pulled off, residents began forming a prayer circle where they joined hands and stayed together well after the hate group dispersed.
Evendale Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department responded to the demonstration, which they said was ‘short lived’ and the protestors left on their own accord.
One of the women in attendance pulled out lighter fluid before setting the flag ablaze as others joined in – stepping and spitting on the burning flag
Residents slashed the tires of a Jeep, which they believed to belong to someone in the hate group
The department added that ‘the protest, while very offensive, was not unlawful.’
Lincoln Heights Council Member Daniels said that this protest will be at the very top of his mind during the next meeting. He also wants to talk to both the sheriff’s office and the police department about why they didn’t break up the protest sooner.
‘I’m more proud than our residents for showing up and saying that, “Hey, we’re not going to allow anybody to come in and bully us in any type of way, especially in this moment,”’ he told Local 12.
A group that refers to themselves as ‘The Hate Club’ – the same group behind the November neo-Nazi march in Columbus – has taken credit for Friday’s protest.
November’s shocking display, which was done in broad daylight, also enraged Americans as the suspects were heard airing chants disparaging people of color and those who are Jewish on circulated video footage.
There have been no arrests made in either protests, though multiple residents believe that there should have been.
‘They just let these people drive off and disrespect us and our heritage,’ resident Kachara Talbert told NBC News.
‘And y’all going to let these terrorists and racists come over here and do that?’
Once the UHaul pulled off, residents began forming a prayer circle where they joined hands and stayed together well after the hate group dispersed
Pictured above is all that was left from the swastika flag that was burned during the confrontation
The neo-Nazi group got into the rental truck and left. There were no arrests made during the protest
The Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism is now tracking down the group that is known for its black and red face masks, according to Local 12.
Several people publicly responded to the twisted demonstration, including Mayor Aftab Pureval who released a statement to X on Friday afternoon.
‘Messages of hate like this have no place in our region. It was shocking and disgusting to see swastikas displayed in Evendale today,’ he said. ‘This is not what we stand for, and it will never be what we stand for.’
The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati also released a statement explaining how it was ‘deeply disturbed’ by the entire demonstration.
‘We will not be intimidated. Our response to hate is to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening community bonds, advancing education, and advocating for a society free of antisemitism and all forms of hate and bigotry,’ the group said.
‘We urge all citizens of Cincinnati to stand with us in rejecting hate and building a community where all people can live without fear or intimidation.’
The Cincinnati NAACP, a leading civil rights organization, addressed the protest while suggesting that the demonstrators may have been from out of town.
‘Recently, in the area, there was a group of individuals waving a symbolism of hate,’ the organization said.
‘We are aware of the presence and based on the location they chose to display their message of hate; we question their residency in the city of Cincinnati.’
A group that refers to themselves as ‘The Hate Club’ – the same group behind the November neo-Nazi march in Columbus – has taken credit for Friday’s protest
‘We’re a community at heart, and a proud historical African American community. So things of that nature don’t stand here, you know, that’s a symbol of hate. We’re a community of pride and love,’ Lincoln Heights Village Council member Daronce Daniels told Local 12 News
Lincoln Heights also made a statement the following day, which said: ‘Racism is ugly, and it was on display yesterday,’ The Enquirer reported.
‘This kind of activity has no place in Lincoln Heights or anywhere else. We are proud of the restraint our community showed in response to this demonstration,’ the statement added.
The response added that the incident is still under investigation.
The Cincinnati NAACP said that the country’s current administration, may have, in part, motivated the neo-Nazi group to take to the overpass on Friday afternoon, The Enquirer reported.
‘It is well known that people receive messages and actions in different manners,’ they said. ‘The current executive orders and actions have angered many and emboldened others.’
In January, Trump called for the elimination of government diversity programs. Additionally, the president has followed through on his promises of mass deportations across the country.
‘No matter the political climate in the country, no matter what people seem to think or do, hate will never prevail,’ Eley told The Enquirer. ‘Freedom will always win out.’
