Feb 26th City Council Demands
Mayor Aftab Pureval shows who’s side he’s on, the side of the trump administration and ICE. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
Mayor Aftab Pureval stated in late January that the city of Cincinnati would comply with Trump's racist ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids. He insisted there is nothing he can do to protect those in danger of deportation in Cincinnati, telling our local NPR station that he “took an oath to follow the Constitution and we [the city government] will follow the law.”
Just weeks later, on February 7th, a group of neo-Nazis emboldened by Trump held a racist demonstration on the I-75 overpass in Lincoln Heights, flying swastika flags, shouting slurs, and displaying a banner that read “America for the White Man.” A spontaneous and swift response from the majority Black community of Lincoln Heights, some of whom were armed, drove the Nazis off, who, instead of being arrested for hate crimes, were escorted to safety by local police.
Rather than drafting an ordinance outlawing swastikas and other fascist symbols, Mayor Pureval’s plan is to outlaw the wearing of masks while armed, which would hinder the efforts of Lincoln Heights residents who heroically responded to the Nazi threat by organizing an armed community defense group.
Cincinnati Socialists and the people of Cincinnati stand in solidarity with the Black and immigrant populations in our city. We condemn Mayor Aftab Pureval for his unwillingness to stand up for immigrants of Cincinnati, despite the city’s status as a sanctuary city. We condemn his lack of seriousness in dealing with the local effects of the national upsurge in fascist bigotry, and we support the brave residents of Lincoln Heights.
On Wednesday, February 26th, 2025 Cincinnati Socialists will be at the Cincinnati City Council Meeting to request our demands be met.
Our Demands for City Council
No ICE in schools, hospitals, and other places of refuge
The city must protect children in schools from being detained by ICE and separated from their families. Mayor Aftab Pureval’s lack of commitment to protecting Cincinnati’s children in favor of winning brownie points with the Trump administration is disgraceful, and he must pick a side: the side of the people, or the side of the president.
No compliance with ICE, effectively immediately and forever
If Pureval is unwilling to take a stand for the people of Cincinnati, why does he deserve our vote? Ultimately, we believe ICE—an agency that has been employed by Obama, Biden, and Trump to deport people, separate families, and lock children in cages—should be abolished.
Outlaw swastikas and other symbols of fascism and white-supremacy
The problem presented by the neo-Nazi demonstration was not that these cowards were armed while concealing their identities with masks. The problem is that they were Nazis! To equate the actions of this group of fascists with the Lincoln Heights community’s militant response in order to defend the people is a betrayal of those who are willing to stand up against racism.
Investigate the wrongdoing of Evendale and Lockland PD
There is released body cam footage showing an Evendale police officer assisting the neo-Nazis following the demonstration. It’s shameful that these pigs who supposedly live to “protect and serve” fail to address the residents' just fury while protecting the very people who threatened the people of Lincoln Heights. We call for an immediate investigation of wrongdoing as well as an immediate suspension of the officers in question.