Latest news with #EthanEley
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hate must be confronted wherever it appears. Lincoln Heights is an example.
I felt the wind knocked out of me. The sight of a swastika elicits a visceral reaction − all the more so when it appears in your backyard. Last Friday, neo-Nazis unfurled flags on an overpass in Lincoln Heights − an unmistakable symbol of extremism, meant to instill fear and divide. Half a world away, dozens of hostages − including children and grandparents − remain in the hands of their captors, their fate uncertain. Last week, three men returned malnourished and abused, their images hauntingly reminiscent of Holocaust liberation photos. Opinion: Neo-Nazi hate came to Lincoln Heights and left scars we can't ignore Acts of hate − whether in Cincinnati or Israel − are meant to instill fear, divide communities, and dehumanize. But in Lincoln Heights, the community refused to back down. The world's response to rising hate has been fractured, but ours must be clear: Hate, no matter where it appears, must be confronted − never met with silence. I just returned from Israel with 14 other Jewish community leaders, where we witnessed people of all backgrounds − Jews, Muslims, Druze, and Bedouins − not divided by identity but united as fellow Israeli citizens. I saw that same resolve in the residents of Lincoln Heights, including upstander − 16-year-old Ethan Eley, a Jewish teen whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors. Instead of looking away, he stopped and stood with them. Their courage reminded me of another choice − one made by Awad Darawshe on Oct. 7. Awad was a paramedic. On Oct. 7, as gunfire and chaos erupted, he had every reason to run for safety. Instead, he chose to stay. He treated the wounded − Jews, Arabs, anyone in need − until he was tragically killed. His cousin Mohammad shared his story with us on our Israel Leadership Trip. Awad's story reflects the kind of society that democracies − whether in America, Cincinnati, or Israel − strive to build: one where people of diverse backgrounds and identities co-exist with respect. During our mission, we saw how this vision is not just an idea but a reality being invested in, even in war. Ethan's choice in Lincoln Heights was a reminder that courage exists everywhere − in big and small moments, and in building bridges every day. More: White supremacist demonstration near Cincinnati part of a larger national trend We saw this firsthand at The Jewish Agency for Israel's Youth Futures program, where young people from across Israeli society − Jews, Arabs, and other minorities − receive mentorship and support to overcome trauma. In the Negev, Jews, and Bedouins work side by side at a food packing center, not just distributing aid but forming relationships that bridge generations of division. These quiet acts of unity don't make headlines, but they show that a shared society isn't just an aspiration − it's a reality being built, one relationship at a time. Just as we support shared society in Israel, we are committed to strengthening it at home − working with civic and religious leaders to push back against hate and build lasting, mutually respectful relationships. The same extremists who target Jews also threaten our Black, Muslim, LGBTQ, and immigrant neighbors − including those who are part of our Jewish community. This multitude of identities is not just a reality − it is the foundation of a thriving democracy. When communities come together in shared support and respect, hate loses. Opinion: Neo-Nazis waved swastika flags in Cincinnati. Our community refused to stand by. That is what we saw in Lincoln Heights − a community that stood strong, a moment when people from diverse backgrounds chose to act. More than one community rose that day. Pursuing the bridge-building work that inspires people to refuse to be divided − the work of building a more just and compassionate world − must continue not just in moments of crisis, but every single day. This is what drives me as CEO of the Jewish Federation. Danielle V. Minson is CEO of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lincoln Heights Ohio didn't tolerate neo Nazi hate | Opinion
USA Today
17-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
New blueprint emerges to fight extremism that hits close to home
New blueprint emerges to fight extremism that hits close to home Ethan Eley might be barely old enough to drive, but the Cincinnati-area youth knows what he doesn't like. 'I really don't appreciate Nazis,' he said. 'I hate them.' Some of Eley's family members disappeared during the Holocaust in Germany, he said. So when the 16-year-old former Boy Scout drove through Lincoln Heights earlier this month and spotted a band of masked demonstrators wielding swastika-emblazoned banners over Interstate 75, he felt compelled to pull off the highway and do something. He wasn't the only one. Eley and other local residents slipped past the police officers trying to quell tensions and grabbed a flag from the fleeing demonstrators, stomping on it and ultimately setting it aflame. "There was just a general sense of unity for pushing people like that out of their community," Eley told the Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network. Lincoln Heights is the first all-Black, self-governing city in the North, according to the Cincinnati Preservation Association, and at one time was once the nation's largest predominantly Black city. Some say community vigilance and nonviolent intervention may become more crucial given what they see as a rise in hateful rhetoric emboldened by the reelection of President Donald Trump, whose executive actions have in part targeted diversity efforts and some of the nation's most marginalized groups, including immigrants and the transgender community. Jon Lewis, a research fellow at George Washington University's Program on Extremism, said that was behind incidents such as a neo-Nazi march that took place in November in Columbus, Ohio. "This absolutely speaks to the emboldening of the sense of entitlement and the sense of freedom that I think a lot of white supremacists and neo-Nazis feel at this current moment," Lewis said. "They think that they can, you know, intimidate, harass, and engage in this hateful conduct without any real repercussions." After the demonstration near Cincinnati, the local NAACP issued a statement suggesting the current administration was partly to blame. 'It is well known that people receive messages and actions in different manners,' the group said. 'The current executive orders and actions have angered many and emboldened others.' Trump signed orders last month aimed at eliminating federal diversity efforts, increasing immigration enforcement and limiting the rights or recognition of transgender and nonbinary individuals. The president also commuted, pardoned or dismissed cases of 1,500 people charged in the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol, which some critics also feared might embolden far-right extremist groups. Meanwhile, white supremacist rhetoric and activities have been on the rise since last summer, particularly among groups designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center. In Nashville, Tennessee, city officials passed ordinances aimed at muffling extremist activity after more frequent demonstrations by such groups, including an instance in July when demonstrators rushed the council chambers, forcing closure of the gallery. Lewis, of George Washington University, said such events are typically organized through encrypted messaging services by small groups more interested in provoking small conflicts rather than large-scale street fights or violent terrorism. How communities are standing up to extremism Other community leaders have struggled with how to handle such displays while allowing free speech. Cincinnati lawyer H. Louis Sirkin said the demonstrators in Lincoln Heights were likely protected by the First Amendment. Symbols such as swastikas and burning crosses aren't protected if their purpose is to intimidate. Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey was among those saying the group had not violated any laws. "The protest was occurring on sidewalks designed for pedestrian travel," read a press release issued by police in nearby Evendale, Ohio. " The protest, while very offensive, was not unlawful. The protest was short lived in duration. The protesters left the area on their own.' Eighty miles northeast, the city of Springfield, Ohio, this month filed a federal lawsuit against a neo-Nazi group known as the Blood Tribe. The suit charges that group members harassed residents who'd stood up for the city's Haitian immigrants, who had endured racial slurs and false rumors; Trump had seized upon the falsehoods during his 2024 campaign, claiming during his debate with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris that Haitians were 'eating the pets' in their neighborhoods. According to the suit, the Blood Tribe's campaign utilized email, social media and physical intimidation in efforts to quiet private citizens and elected leaders. It says the group exceeded the bounds of protected speech, violating the civil rights of those targeted. "The City of Springfield will not stand idly by while hate groups like Blood Tribe attempt to terrorize our residents and violate their civil rights," Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said in a statement. "This lawsuit sends a clear message that hate, intimidation, and violence have no place in our community." That was the message sent by those who confronted neo-Nazi demonstrators in Lincoln Heights. In Columbus, Black community leaders and citizens gathered in November to pace the route taken by extremists the day before. Such community resistance efforts, some say, are necessary and already underway. "I thought it was such a powerful reaction to actually have a proactive march in response," said Maria Bruno, executive director of Ohioans Against Extremism. " I think that you're going to see more of that … I think we now understand more clearly that this is more of a pattern of behavior and that it requires an organized, actual response.' Eley's father said his son has strong convictions about right and wrong and may have drawn on his Boy Scout background with its oath to help others as he drove through Lincoln Heights that day. "It was purely a coincidence that he was on the interstate and saw the flags and made the choice to take a stand against such blatant racism," Bryan Eley said. "Despite the potential dangers, rather than ignore, he chose to get involved and help." Ethan Eley said violent hate has no place in the United States and never will. "No matter the political climate in the country, no matter what people seem to think or do, hate will never prevail," he said. "Freedom will always win out." Contributing: Liz Dufour and Aaron Valdez, Cincinnati Enquirer
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Group displaying swastika flags seen demonstrating on I-75 overpass in Evendale
A demonstration Friday in Evendale ended with heavy police presence and the burning of a flag emblazoned with a swastika. Evendale police said the "unannounced protest" happened on Vision Way overlooking Interstate 75. Social media reports showed black and red flags with swastikas on them being displayed over the highway. Another social media post shows a similar flag being set on fire to the cheers of a crowd. The social media post contains explicit language. As of 4:30 p.m., no arrests had been reported, but shortly after the demonstration began, multiple police cruisers responded. "The protest was occurring on sidewalks designed for pedestrian travel. The protest, while very offensive, was not unlawful," a press release from the Evendale Police Department said. "The protest was short lived in duration. The protestors left the area on their own. No further action was taken by the Evendale Police Department." The Evendale Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department responded. A number of nearby residents confronted the demonstrators. One of them was 16-year-old Ethan Eley, who was driving on Interstate 75 that afternoon taking some friends to Loveland when he spotted the banners as they passed through Lincoln Heights. Eley said members of his family were direct victims of the Holocaust in Berlin. "I really don't appreciate Nazis," he said. "I hate them." When he saw the swastikas and a flag that he remembers saying something like "Save the white man's America," he pulled off the highway. The confrontation between local residents and the demonstrators had already started. Eley said police were trying to keep the two groups separated. With other residents, Eley said they kept approaching the demonstrators. He said he saw police, one with an AR-15 style rifle, pushing back residents who had come out in opposition. Eley said they eventually made it past police and someone snatched a flag from one of the demonstators. "The Nazis began to back off," Eley said. "They quickly jumped in the back of a U-Haul truck and took off." A woman brought out lighter fluid to burn the flag, and he joined in with others stepping and spitting on the flag, said Eley, who was a Boy Scout. "General flag disrespect; it's a flag that deserves disrespect," Eley said. After the tensions died down, he said the group stayed together to talk and pray. "There was just a general sense of unity for pushing people like that out of their community," Eley said. He said that violent hate has no place in the United States and never will. "No matter the political climiate in the country, no matter what people seem to think or do, hate will never prevail," Eley said. "Freedom will always win out." Eley's father, Bryan Eley of Springdale, learned of his son's actions Friday afternoon. "Despite the conflicts of being a teenager, Ethan strives to do the right thing and happened to be in the right place to act on his convictions against hate and racism," the elder Eley said. Mayor Aftab Pureval released a statement on X Friday afternoon in response to the demonstration. "Messages of hate like this have no place in our region. It was shocking and disgusting to see swastikas displayed in Evendale today," the statement reads. "This is not what we stand for, and it will never be what we stand for." The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati also released a statement on social media. The nonprofit, which is focused on supporting and building an inclusive Jewish community in Cincinnati, said: "We are deeply disturbed by the reprehensible display of hate witnessed today at the Vision Way overpass on I-75, where individuals openly displayed Nazi symbols. Such acts of antisemitism, racism, and bigotry are an affront to the values of inclusion, respect, and unity that define our community. Hate has no place in Cincinnati or anywhere in our society. Thanks to the vigilance of our community members, we were promptly alerted to this incident and immediately contacted law enforcement. This underscores the critical importance of community diligence in maintaining our collective security. At this time, we have received no information indicating an imminent, credible threat against local Jewish organizations or congregations. The safety and security of our community remain our highest priority, and we continue to work closely with law enforcement through SAFE Cincinnati, our community-wide security initiative designed to improve readiness against security threats and natural disasters. We will not be intimidated. Our response to hate is to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening community bonds, advancing education, and advocating for a society free of antisemitism and all forms of hate and bigotry. We urge all citizens of Cincinnati to stand with us in rejecting hate and building a community where all people can live without fear or intimidation. We are grateful to our community partners, law enforcement, and local officials for their ongoing support. Together, we will continue to uphold our shared values of dignity, respect, and inclusion for all." Enquirer reporter Bebe Hodges contributed to this report. This story will continue to be updated. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Group carrying Swastika flags seen demonstrating in Cincinnati suburb
