CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A protest has been scheduled in Chillicothe as tensions continue to rise between citizens and local law enforcement.
Lesha Malone, a community mental health professional and civil rights activist, along with other community members, will hold what they call a “Silent Protest” on the Ross County Courthouse steps on July 28, 2024, at 1:30 PM.
The protest comes on the heels of a number of recent issues involving KKK flyers being distributed in the area, as well as several controversial videos involving alleged excessive force by the Chillicothe Police. An audio recording purported to be Ross County Sheriff George Lavender using a racial slur has also ignited discussions of racial disparities in Ohio’s First Capital.
Organizers in their statement to the Guardian said, “Malone and the group emphasize the necessity for a comprehensive approach to foster unity, address the mental health issues that complex racial trauma fuels, and the vicarious trauma of providers and law enforcement.”
The Chillicothe Police Department has been embroiled in controversy as several body cam videos show officers becoming violent during interactions and arrests with residents.
Chillicothe is no stranger to racial confrontations. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Aryan Nations, a white supremacist neo-Nazi hate group, was originally founded in Chillicothe. Other neo-Nazi leaders have called Chillicothe and Ross County home. The Guardian over the years reported on those individuals, including Paul Mullet and James Mason.
Mullet has been entrenched in the far-right white supremacy movement since the early 1990s. Initially associated with Thom Robb’s Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Mullet later became involved with the Aryan Nations, a dangerous Christian Identity group with neo-Nazi leanings. Mullet’s splinter groups, all with ties to Ross County and Southern Ohio, have perpetuated extremist ideologies. He has authored several books, available on platforms like eBay and Amazon, that propagate antisemitism and hate. Despite his affiliations, Mullet continues to operate within the white supremacist landscape.
In 2022, Chillicothe native James Mason was placed on a terror watch list due to his extremist ideology that inspired the likes of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. A book authored by Mason was reportedly used as the inspiration behind the horrific domestic terror attack in 1995.
Several neo-Nazi and white supremacist sympathizers still reside in Ross County.
Just last year, during a local Pride celebration, members of the neo-Nazi group the Aryan Freedom Network marched through Yoctangee Park and the downtown city streets, spewing alt-right propaganda.
Organizers of the protest say that there will be 15 minutes of “unified silence.” Organizers call on all residents to join the protest.