Katya Yindra
LINCOLN HEIGHTS, OH— On February 7, a group of about a dozen neo-Nazis gathered on an overpass between Evendale and Lincoln Heights, arriving in a U-Haul truck to unfurl banners and wave Nazi flags. They shouted racial slurs at Black drivers, only to be swiftly confronted by local residents. The confrontation ended with the fascists retreating as residents burned one of their flags and reportedly smashed the windows of a Jeep believed to belong to one of them.
Video footage shows residents confronting the neo-Nazis, snatching a swastika flag, and setting it ablaze, forcing the neo-Nazis to flee. Livestreams from residents participating in the flag burning show them shouting, “Get them boys the fuck out of here!” and “Hitler been dead; y’all livin’ in the forties!”
Following the confrontation, law enforcement stepped in—to help the fascists escape. Officers from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office eventually escorted the neo-Nazis away, with Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey later claiming her deputies were there to “de-escalate” the situation, stating, “There is no place for hate in this county.” Evendale police issued a statement saying that while the demonstration was “very offensive,” it was not illegal.
At a town hall following the incident, Lieutenant Michael Steers defended the lack of arrests, arguing, “There was no law being violated.” Local resident Reverend Julian Cook challenged his claim, pointing out that Ohio law prohibits passengers from riding in the back of cargo trucks and that hanging banners on government property constitutes vandalism. Police action garnered further outrage after a video surfaced from the Lockland School District, showing an Evendale police officer casually interacting with the neo-Nazis inside their U-Haul near the Lockland Educational Annex—just minutes before school dismissal. The footage shows the officer leaving moments before the truck pulled out and returned to the highway, sparking alarm among parents and school staff.
Days after the rally, in the absence of an adequate response from the state, armed, mostly Black community members set up tents and began guarding checkpoints around the neighborhood. The group is now being referred to as the “Lincoln Heights Protectors” by local residents.
The friendly attitude of the cops towards the neo-Nazis stands in contrast to the aggressive crackdown on anti-imperialist, anti-police terror demonstrations seen in recent years. Across the US, over 3,100 people were arrested on college campuses for Palestine solidarity actions in 2024. In Atlanta, activists opposing the construction of the “Cop City” police training facility face domestic terrorism charges, with one protester, Tortuguita, being murdered by police. During the 2020 George Floyd uprisings, at least 14,000 people were arrested, and more than 19 people lost their lives amid the unrest.
As the state continues to reactionize, all sorts of filthy creatures are generated by the imperialist crisis, the political and social expression of the rotting corpse of imperialism. Working class and oppressed masses must organize their own defense in the face of assaults from the state and the fascist and anti-people elements it flirts with.
Photo: Residents burn neo-Nazi paraphernalia after running them out of town.
The Worker is an entirely volunteer-run revolutionary newspaper free from and radically antagonistic to corporate influence. We rely on the support of our readers to sustain our editorial line in service of the working class and the reconstitution of its party, the Communist Party. Make a one-time or recurring donation to our newspaper today:
Make a one-time donation
Make a monthly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateDonate monthly
