Lincoln Heights residents demand answers for response to neo-Nazis

A procession of vehicles made its way through Lincoln Heights and Evendale Monday to counter protest the February 7 neo-Nazi demonstration on the Vision Way overpass between the two communities.

During the February 7 demonstration, about 10  members of the hate group carried swastika flags and assault rifles and hung White supremacist banners from the overpass. They were eventually confronted by Lincoln Heights residents, the presence of Evendale police and Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies and left towing a U-Haul filled with their props.

Residents of the historically Black community — the first self-governing Black municipality north of the Mason-Dixon line — say they believe they were intentionally targeted. The members of the hate group wore masks and several brandished assault rifles.

The incident has left an unsettled feeling in Lincoln Heights and questions about law enforcements’ response to the hate group.

“We still have drivers cruising through Lincoln Heights wearing swastikas on their arm bands and hate signs on their cars,” said Carlton Collins, a leader in The Heights Movement, a civic organization.

Drivers involved in Monday’s counter-protest painted their windows and carried signs with anti-racist slogans and messages like “we demand answers,” a reference to the police response about the hate group

“The purpose of the caravan of vehicles Monday was to announce our effort to produce an economic boycott of Evendale businesses in response to the lack of transparency provided by the Evendale police presence here during the Nazi demonstration,” Collins said. 

“The neo-Nazi group parked their van in the Lincoln Heights Middle School/High School parking lot, which was just dismissing students, as elementary school buses coming into the same lot were letting those students off. So all of those students were seeing the whole thing going on down at the overpass. The high school students were the first to reach the overpass, with the armed neo—Nazis walking from our side of the overpass to it.

“Also, from 20 to 30 percent of our population lives in the senior apartments back of the school. So we had most of our vulnerable people witness what was happening, and all of that contributed to just how angry the people of Lincoln Heights were.”   

Collins said members of The Heights Movement have some footage from Evendale police taken during the event, but it has apparently been edited, and the members want an independent investigation of the police department concerning their response to the event. 

“We want some clarity about whether the  Evendale police were in support of the neo- Nazis presence here,” he said.    

The “rolling protest” caravan Monday has produced some positive results that are leading to accountability, Collins said. “There has been a lot of community trauma, but we are now in space where we are on the road to healing. The sooner we get answers, that will help us in that process.” he added.

Lincoln Heights residents want to know why none of the hate group members were cited for breaking any laws, and how their U-Haul truck ended up outside Lockland school after the demonstration.

Lockland Local Schools last week released security footage showing an Evendale Police cruiser pulling up to the school in the minutes after the demonstration. Shortly after, the U-Haul driven by the neo-Nazis pulled up behind it. The officer gets out, speaks briefly to the driver of the U-Haul, then gets in his cruiser, pulls into the school’s parking lot and then drives away. The U-Haul then pulls into the parking lot as well before driving off.

In the statement, Lockland Schools says it was just minutes away from dismissal of elementary school students when the incident happened and that the district was not notified about the hate group being near — and briefly on — its property.

Regarding the Nazi confrontation in Lincoln Heights, The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners released this joint statement:

“We are appalled by the hateful and racist display that took place in the Lincoln Heights/Evendale. Hate has no place in Hamilton County or society, and we stand united in rejecting those who seek to divide us.”

Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey is calling on Ohio lawmakers for stricter laws after the neo-Nazi demonstration on the overpass.

McGuffey said on Tuesday she wants state lawmakers to implement harsher legislation for “hate speech” and to make it a crime to wear a mask while carrying a firearm for purposes of intimidation.

According to reports, Hamilton County dispatchers said police responded to the scene and were working on “keeping the peace.” Evendale police said they became aware of “an unannounced protest” on the sidewalks of the overpass. Hamilton County sheriff’s deputies also responded to the scene.

Evendale police stated previously in a news release the protest, while very offensive, was not unlawful.

“It might be legally protected speech but it is not OK,” McGuffey said on Tuesday.