Officials reflect on city's response to neo-Nazi march
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein was "angry and pissed" at November's neo-Nazi appearance in the Short North, but tells us he was pleased with Columbus Police's measured response.
Why it matters: This marked at least the third high-profile instance of swastika-carrying neo-Nazis marching in Central Ohio over the past 18 months.
- They've angered local residents and forced local officials to walk a "fine balance" required by the First Amendment, Klein says.
Catch up quick: Marchers reportedly yelled slurs at onlookers and got into an altercation that involved pepper spray before being detained and questioned by police.
- No one has been arrested for the incident.
What they're saying: "You have a group of people who their mindset is not only white supremacy, but the destruction of everything, with the elimination and murder and eradication of Black, brown, gay, Jewish people," Klein says.
- "That is, I think, a very personal, striking moment of anger that they would want to come to Columbus."
The big picture: The difficulty in dealing with hate groups comes from the tension between efforts to make the groups feel unwelcome and the First Amendment, which protects the vast majority of speech — largely including hate speech.
- Klein says court precedent shows hate speech becomes punishable with disorderly conduct or intimidation charges when it involves an action or gesture — like pointing a gun, "slashing your throat with your fingers" or directly targeting a single individual.
Between the lines: First Amendment protections put the city and its taxpayers at risk of funding those very groups if law enforcement makes a mistake.
- "If we're wrong and we arrest them, then they get to sue the city and we write them checks for thousands and thousands of dollars and their attorneys get paid too," Klein notes.
- "I want to make sure there's accountability, but I also don't want to let the heat of the moment push us into" an improper arrest.
Another take: City Council President Shannon Hardin doesn't think arrests are the way to combat neo-Nazis, and would rather not "shine a light on 12 creeps walking down High Street yelling out the N-word."
Hardin empathizes with frustrated citizens who want to see punishments doled out, but shares Klein's view that First Amendment rights mean the city can't make arrests just because speech is particularly disgusting.
- "I understand the fear and the anger and wanting to do something," he says. "But even if we could, you can't arrest hate away. You have to show them our values in an open society like we have. So I get it, but I'm also comforted knowing what kind of city we are."
Instead, Columbus's first openly gay council president hopes those working for progress will "keep going" and focus their efforts on loftier aims than dealing with a handful of hateful out-of-town marchers.
What's next: Klein says police are still "trying to build cases," but have struggled to find witnesses who could identify suspects due to the marchers' face coverings.
- Asked to comment, the Columbus Division of Police pointed us to a Nov. 18 statement noting the "investigation continues" and that it is still seeking public tips and videos.
The last word: "There were 12 of them," Hardin says. "We know who we are, and we know what we tolerate and what we don't. Hate speech from neo-Nazis is just not welcome in Columbus. We have so many LGBTQ friends, like myself, and Black and brown and Jewish folks who find harm and danger when we allow that to be normalized."