White House condemns ‘sickening’ Nazi march in Ohio

(WASHINGTON) — The White House has condemned an incident over the weekend in which a group of masked individuals with Nazi flags marched through the streets of Columbus, Ohio.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement President Joe Biden “abhors the hateful poison of Nazism, Antisemitism, and racism,” which he called “hostile to everything the United States stands for, including protecting the dignity of all our citizens and the freedom to worship.”

“Hate directed against any of us is a threat to every single one of us,” Bates said. “This sickening display comes during a tragic rise in Antisemitic rhetoric and violence that is a crises the American people should all come together against. That is why President Biden launched and continues to act on the first ever national strategy to fight Antisemitism in American history.”

On Saturday afternoon, a group of unidentified individuals marched through Columbus wearing black and carrying flags with swastikas on them.

The individuals were also “armed with firearms,” according to the Columbus Police Department.

Members of the group were detained, but no arrests were ultimately made, police said. Police said officers had initially been advised of a possible “physical altercation,” but released the detained individuals after determining “an assault did not take place.”

Officials spoke out after photos and videos of the demonstrators circulated widely across social media.

In a statement from the city of Columbus, city officials said they “reject the cowardly display” and would work with police to monitor the situation.

“The Columbus community stands squarely against hatred and bigotry,” the statement said. “We will not allow any of our neighbors to be intimidated, threatened or harmed because of who they are, how they worship or whom they love. We embrace tolerance and acceptance, and derive great strength from our diversity. It is who we are as a people, and it is precisely what has enabled us to grow and thrive and reach new heights of excellence.”

“We will not tolerate hate in Ohio,” Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement on social media Saturday. “Neo-Nazis — their faces hidden behind red masks — roamed streets in Columbus today, carrying Nazi flags and spewing vile and racist speech against people of color and Jews. There were reports that they were also espousing white power sentiments.”

He added, “There is no place in this State for hate, bigotry, antisemitism, or violence, and we must denounce it wherever we see it.”

The incident came a week after another group of masked individuals were seen waving Nazi flags outside a production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in Howell, Michigan.

ABC News’ Molly Nagle contributed to this report.