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Residents, faith and civic leaders urge Cincinnati City Council to condemn neo‑Nazi display in Lincoln Heights, call for protections
Summary
Speakers at the Citizens Forum pressed Cincinnati City Council to denounce a neo‑Nazi demonstration in Lincoln Heights, to pursue criminal identification and prosecution of participants, and to take steps — including ordinance reviews and public‑safety deployments — to protect vulnerable communities.
During the Cincinnati City Council Citizens Forum, residents and community leaders urged the council to formally condemn a recent neo‑Nazi demonstration in Lincoln Heights and to take steps to protect residents and pursue criminal accountability.
Speakers said the display of Nazi symbols and a banner reading, in their words, “America for the white man,” threatened public safety and echoed genocidal rhetoric. Werner Lang, chair of the Ohio Peace Council, called the event “a moral outrage” and asked the council to “unanimously pass a resolution condemning this brazen advocacy of genocide and call for their criminal” prosecution.
The push for an explicit council response came from several community members and faith leaders who framed the demonstration as part of a larger pattern of rising local hate incidents and as related to broader international concerns raised by other speakers. Dania Hantouche said raids in the West Bank continued during a so‑called ceasefire and described the pattern as “the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people,” while noting that U.S. approvals of military aid to Israel exceed billions of dollars.
Several speakers praised Council member Scotty Johnson for publicly condemning violence and for speaking with the Palestinian community. Lena Zareub thanked Johnson and asked why other elected officials had not offered similar statements.
Council leaders responded later in the meeting. Mayor Aftab said city officials and the city manager “have been, in meetings together, since the hate, brought on by the Nazis, to ensure that our response ... is, number 1, meant to protect our residents, and number 2, meant to combat that kind of racism and hate.” The mayor said the city would review ordinances and public‑safety deployments while respecting constitutional rights to demonstrate and free speech.
Speakers urged additional steps ranging from a formal council resolution to criminal investigation and prosecution of those who displayed racist symbols. Werner Lang also said perpetrators had not yet been identified or arrested.
The comments closed with repeated appeals for unity and concrete action; Mayor Aftab and the city manager said they had already begun meetings to plan next steps, including possible ordinance reviews and deployment strategies to protect neighborhoods.
The council did not take a vote on a resolution during the meeting; speakers asked the council to consider formal action at a future session.
