On February 7, a group of about a dozen white supremacists and Neo-Nazis were driven away by Black residents after the former attempted to infiltrate a historically Black community with a history of fighting racism.
According to CNN, the white supremacists wore all-black clothing and red face masks while waving large swastika-emblazoned flags on a highway overpass between Lincoln Heights and Evendale, Ohio. Another Nazi-owned sign read “America for the White Man,” which appears to simply repeat the quiet part of “Make America Great Again” aloud.
After residents confronted the white supremacists, they quickly backed up, jumped into a U-Haul truck, and drove away. Notably, at the scene of the confrontation, police officers directed the Neo-Nazis to the U-Haul track and motioned for them to leave.
According to the police, “the protest, while extremely offensive, was not illegal. The protest did not last long. Protesters left the area on their own. The Evendale Police Department took no further action, according to their statement.
Local residents, including Kachara Tolbert, were critical of the police response, and some claimed that the Nazis used anti-Black slurs, including the n-word.
“We are underestimating the dangers of the police and have not even attempted to identify them. Who are they trying to protect? Because it isn’t us,” Talbert, a resident who confronted the white supremacists, told CNN. “Behind those masks, there could be another Hitler. It could be a school shooter hiding behind those masks.”
Talbert continued, “The sign they posted said ‘America for the White Man,’ and it makes me wonder what makes this group, which literally originated in another country, believe they are more entitled to America than me and my family. This country was built with Black blood, sweat, and tears, so why are these colonizers so relaxed?”
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval also issued a statement condemning the incident, calling it “shocking and disgusting to see swastikas displayed in Evendale today.”
https://twitter.com/AftabPureval/status/1887959964716560560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1887959964716560560%7Ctwgr%5E28affd7e1c007e717e6752dbb26253719dc9f723%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsbreak.com%2Fshare%2F3798954371454-black-residents-in-ohio-send-white-supremacists-packing%3Fs%3Da7share_destination_id%3DMzEwNTM0MzA1LTE3MzkxNjU1MjczMTY3Dpd%3D0L0y9pgAhl%3Den_USsend_time%3D1739165527actBtn%3DbottomBar_f%3Dapp_sharetrans_data%3D7B22platform223A12C22cv223A2225.4.0222C22languages223A22en227Dsep%3Dns_foryou_recall_exp_25q1-v42Cns_foryou_model_exp_25q1-v42Cns_foryou_blend_exp_25q1-v62Cns_foryou_rank_exp_25q1-v5
https://twitter.com/SeeRacists/status/1887983396548395439?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1887983396548395439%7Ctwgr%5E28affd7e1c007e717e6752dbb26253719dc9f723%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsbreak.com%2Fshare%2F3798954371454-black-residents-in-ohio-send-white-supremacists-packing%3Fs%3Da7share_destination_id%3DMzEwNTM0MzA1LTE3MzkxNjU1MjczMTY3Dpd%3D0L0y9pgAhl%3Den_USsend_time%3D1739165527actBtn%3DbottomBar_f%3Dapp_sharetrans_data%3D7B22platform223A12C22cv223A2225.4.0222C22languages223A22en227Dsep%3Dns_foryou_recall_exp_25q1-v42Cns_foryou_model_exp_25q1-v42Cns_foryou_blend_exp_25q1-v62Cns_foryou_rank_exp_25q1-v5
https://twitter.com/lil_doza/status/1888591174442590346?s=19
Talbert also criticized law enforcement’s lackluster response, claiming that it could encourage another group of would-be terrorists to return.
“They made statements about how hate has no place here, but no justice was served. “These are terrorists,” Talbert stated. “Seeing the flag being represented here and seeing the police stand there in what looked like unity, not disgust, made us feel like they’re saying what the Nazis stand for is OK.”
Talbert also explained what motivated her and other community members to act and set fire to the white supremacists’ flags.
“Anger and rage just overcame me. “I literally arrived in about 15 minutes,” Talbert told CNN. “The Nazis disrespected my family, lineage, and heritage. I took it very personally. I needed to be there to take down that flag and push those people out of our community.
She went on, “All my life, I’ve seen Black men in this community being frisked and detained without probable cause. But I saw no rubber bullets that day. I didn’t see anyone being shot, unlike during Black Lives Matter demonstrations. I didn’t see any gas. We were very upset by the police’s overall calmness and the way they stood in front of them.”
Talbert concluded, “When you have years and years of oppression and Nazi supporters in office, such as police officers and judges, that is what gives these people the confidence to do something like that. America must stand up and put an end to this madness, because it will only worsen and become more dangerous.”
