Hate showed up in Toledo and Sylvania Township recently and received the appropriate response — nonengagement.
Neo-Nazi goons attempted to harass attendees at an event in UpTown and at the Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo on July 15.
At the Love Fest LGBTQ+ event on Adams Street on that Saturday evening, some 400 to 500 people were enjoying the activities. The group arrived at Love Fest about 8 p.m., causing dozens of people to leave quickly, especially those with children. The organizers turned up the speakers for the music and encouraged the crowd to ignore the fascist freaks.
The protesters wore black masks, red shirts, black pants, and sunglasses. So cool. They formed a straight line and aped the “Heil Hitler” salute. They belong to a group that calls itself Blood Tribe Ohio reportedly out of Florida. A participant told The Blade that protesters carried Nazi swastika flags and were armed with guns and knives. They couldn’t be easily heard over the volume of the DJ. Brent Rabie of Equality Toledo declined to repeat the exact words but said the chants were anti-Black, anti-Jewish, and anti-LGBTQ. He said their arrival was not a surprise because people who monitor hate group online chatter had picked up on it. The same group demonstrated outside a drag brunch fund-raiser in Columbus April 29.
Neo-Nazism attracts the worst human scum. Public adherence to Nazism is illegal in Germany. In the United States, the First Amendment guarantees the right of all citizens to express their opinions, no matter how marginal or wrong.
Toledo and Sylvania law enforcement handled these clowns adroitly. In fact, the community didn’t even know they were here until a few days later.
According to the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center, Ohio is one of the top 10 states for harboring hate groups. The SPLC says Ohio has 55 recognized hate groups, which makes it fifth in the nation behind California, which is first with 103, Florida with 89, and Texas and Pennsylvania, which each have 72 groups.
Blood Tribe Ohio isn’t listed as an Ohio group by the SPLC.
The group was said to number about 18. It is shameful that even 18 Americans would behave this way.
Since it stopped short of physical or property damage, the group’s First Amendment rights were protected by the police.
The targets of the protest deserve the public’s sympathy and support against bused-in hatemongers.
First Published July 27, 2023, 4:00 a.m.
