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Residents of a historic Black town in Ohio have launched an armed protection group after facing attacks from neo-Nazis.
According to NBC News, Lincoln Heights, an area widely known as the first all-Black, self-governing city north of the Mason-Dixon Line, started a Safety and Watch program to protect its residents from future racist attacks following a Neo-Nazi rally last month.
Dozens of neo-Nazis waved swastika flags and shouted racial slurs on a highway overpass just on the edge of the majority-Black community. During the February 7 demonstration, the group also brandished a sign that read "America for the White Man."
Officers from Evendale, a town that borders Lincoln Heights, and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office responded to the rally, but no arrests were made. Authorities also declined to take down names or identify any of the members of the neo-Nazi group. In a statement, Evendale Mayor Richard Finan said the officers were focused on de-escalation, which “resulted in the incident’s resolution without injuries to any of the persons involved, passersby or law enforcement officers. During this evolving scene, protecting life took priority over immediate identification.”
Lincoln Heights residents expressed concern over the police response to the incident, prompting members of the Heights Movement, an existing community empowerment organization, to create the safety and watch program.
Daronce Daniels, a spokesperson for the Lincoln Heights Safety and Watch program, said police have "been very clear that if it happens again, they’ll allow it to happen again, that their hands are tied."
The safety and watch program includes armed volunteers who patrol the area wearing tactical gear and face coverings. Ohio state law allows anyone who can legally own a gun to open carry without a permit.
Yard signs that read “We Support Lincoln Heights Safety & Watch” can be seen throughout the town. Safety and Watch volunteers recently stood guard near a local elementary school to ward off any potential harassment from hate groups.
“I’ve never felt safer as a Black man in my community than I have right now,” Daniels said. “These are my friends. These are my cousins, my brothers, my sisters, my aunties.”
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