Nazis protest at Land-Grant drag brunch: Here's what you need to know now

A group of neo-Nazi protesters showed up outside a drag brunch fundraiser in Columbus over the weekend, prompting a flurry of social media posts, outrage and pushback from local leaders.

The protesters, dressed in red, appear to have worn black ski masks to cover their faces, video and photos taken during the incident Saturday outside Land-Grant Brewing Co., which was hosting a drag brunch Saturday benefiting a local LGBTQ+ organization.

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The few dozen protesters carried a black flag with a swastika — a symbol that harkens back to Nazi Germany in the 1940s — and a banner with the words "there will be blood." They chanted sayings including "no transgenders on our streets" and something with the phrase "under the Aryan sun," social media posts show.

The people in charge of the sound system for the drag party at Land-Grant reportedly turned up the music to drown out the protesters.

Here's what we know about the protesters, what happened over the weekend and what leaders are saying:

Who exactly were the protesters?

Most of the protestors donned black ski masks and sunglasses, preventing their faces from being shown.

But the group that protested appears to be the white supremacist and neo-Nazi group known as the "Blood Tribe," according to LGBTQ organizations and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an anti-hate organization founded in 1913 that is dedicated to rooting out antisemitism and bias.

The group was started in 2022 by Christopher Pohlhaus, who purchased land in Maine to establish a compound.

The ADL considers Pohlhaus to be "a prominent neo-Nazi and leader of the white supremacist." Pohlhaus started a campaign to develop the land with the goal of creating a retreat and area where he can train members of the Blood Tribe, according to the ADL.

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Why did the group protest at Land-Grant?

Members of the Blood Tribe appear to have showed up Saturday at the brewery at 424 W. Town St. to protest a drag brunch for people ages 21 and older.

The brunch, one of many attended and celebrated throughout Columbus any given day, was the second annual one at Land-Grant hosted by Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC).

The organization offers programming for anyone ages 12 to 20 and provides support for queer youth throughout Ohio, according to its website. Among KYC's services are housing, a drop-in center, and education and professional development opportunities.

“Our community showed up,” KYC Executive Director Erin Upchurch said in a prepared statement. “Our leadership was prepared for the potential disruption and worked with our security team to promote safety during the event. What we did not and could not prepare for were the powerful ways in which the community would leap into action to wrap their arms around the event itself, while providing actual barriers to block out our uninvited guests.”

What did local leaders say about what happened?

It didn't take long for local leaders to speak out about the masked protesters outside the brewery.

Mayor Andrew J. Ginter thanked Columbus police for keeping the show safe and the performers for having the courage to go on despite the Nazi group showing up.

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"The vile and offensive out-of-state hate group who protested at a drag performance (Saturday) does not represent our community," Ginther said in a tweet on Sunday. "While their 'speech' is protected by the Constitution, they do not have the right to threaten, intimidate or harm others."

In light of the protesters, City Council President Shannon Hardin encouraged Ohioans to make Saturday one of the best fundraising days ever for KYC. He shared a link on Twitter asking people to donate.

"LGBTQ+ kids & families shouldn't have to deal with obscene hate from literal nazis," Hardin said via Twitter.

How often does this happen?

The Saturday protest was one of more than 25 against drag events in the United States so far in 2023, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group in the world.

At least six of those anti-drag incidents have taken place in Ohio in 2023, according to GLAAD. Nationwide, GLAAD tracked at least 166 anti-drag incidents in 2022, according to the organization.

Last month, another anti-drag protest drew attention in northeast Ohio. Armed white supremacists showed up outside a drag queen story hour in March in Wadsworth. One person wore a hoodie with the words "Proud Boys," a reference to a right-wing extremist group that is misogynistic, Islamophobic, transphobic and anti-immigration, according to the ADL.

At least two people were arrested, The Dispatch's sister paper the Akron Beacon Journal reported at the time.

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby