Masked Neo-Nazis March on Ohio Capital in Open Display of Hate as Terrified Residents Rush to Lock Doors

A group of masked neo-Nazis carrying swastika flags marched through a Columbus, Ohio neighborhood on Saturday as residents hurried to lock doors.

The group, consisting of about a dozen individuals dressed in black with red skull masks, shouted racial slurs and slogans of white supremacy in the arts district known for its restaurants and galleries.

The Anti-Defamation League identified the marchers as members of a new hate group, Hate Club, possibly acting as part of a rivalry with another Ohio-based extremist organization. Oren Segal, vice president of the ADL's Center on Extremism, noted that such "flash" events are designed for shock value and social media attention.

"At the end of day, they want to create fear and anxiety in communities and get a photo op," Segal told the New York Times.

This incident is similar to hundreds of neo-Nazi demonstrations that have occurred in the past 18 months, according to the ADL.

Columbus police responded to reports of the marchers being armed and involved in an altercation. The group dispersed before being stopped by police in a van, where they were detained but released after no assault was confirmed.