Masked group marches through Ohio neighborhood with swastika flags

The governor of Ohio and city officials in Columbus are speaking out after a group of armed, masked individuals marched through the streets of the Ohio capital city Saturday dressed in black and holding flags with swastikas on them.

The unidentified people were spotted around 1 p.m. walking through the Short North neighborhood, according to Columbus ABC affiliate WSYX. Images and videos of the marchers went viral on social media sites.

Individuals in the group were detained, but no arrests were ultimately made, according to the Columbus Police Department. 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."

Police said the individuals were "armed with firearms."

"We will not tolerate hate in Ohio," Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement on the social media platform X on Saturday evening. "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 Columbus community stands squarely against hatred and bigotry. 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," the City of Columbus said in a statement Saturday evening. "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. Together, we reject the cowardly display reported in the Short North earlier today, and we will continue to monitor the situation in partnership with the Columbus Division of Police to ensure the safety and security of our city."

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein echoed those sentiments in a statement posted on X.

"To those involved in the neo-Nazi march in the Short North today, take your flags and the masks you hide behind and go home and never come back," he said. "Your hate isn't welcome in our city."

Last week, a group of masked demonstrators were seen waving Nazi flags outside a production of "The Diary of Anne Frank" in Howell, Michigan.

The protesters were asked to move and there were no arrests.

The White House has responded to this incident in a statement to ABC News, saying "Hate directed against any of us is a threat to every single one of us."

"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," White House Spokesperson Andrew Bates said in the statement.