A video showing a group of students causing chaos inside a Kroger grocery store in Cincinnati’s North College Hill during an anti-ICE protest has gone viral, prompting a backlash from authorities and the community.Video recorded by witness McAdrian Martin on Wednesday showed dozens of students entering the store, chanting slogans against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and throwing beer cans and bottles at the ceiling. It was reported that some items hit fixtures in the store and one customer was hit in the head by a pellet. The injuries were not serious but left the customer visibly upset.According to Martin, more than 50 students walked out of school and immediately entered the store as part of the protest. “They were loud, disruptive, damaging property and disrupting customers,” he said, adding that alcohol containers were ripped from shelves and thrown away.A store employee can be heard on the video ordering the students to leave immediately. Witnesses also reported seeing signs with anti-ICE slogans at the event.
School district condemns this behavior
The North College School District called the video “disturbing” and said it was working with local police to identify those involved.Superintendent Dr. Eugene Blalock Jr. said students will be held accountable for disorderly conduct. He also emphasized the role of families in addressing student behavior, noting that when incidents occur outside school buildings, the responsibility should not lie solely with schools and teachers.
what the police said
North College Hill police recognize that students have a constitutional right to peaceful protest. However, officials said they intervened when the situation escalated and began affecting public safety and private property.“Our primary responsibility is to maintain order and ensure that no one is put in danger,” the department said in a statement. “When an action goes beyond peaceful expression, officers take steps to restore order.”Police confirmed that two students were arrested during the protest but that the arrests were related to a separate incident.
Communities divided over responsibility
The incident prompted mixed reactions from residents. Some are calling for strict legal action against those who damage property and endanger customers, while others say they support students’ right to protest but not their behavior inside stores.Local councilor Kathy Coulton said she supported peaceful demonstrations but stressed that damaging other people’s property and putting others at risk was unacceptable.Authorities are continuing to investigate to identify individuals involved in the vandalism. The school district and police reiterated that while peaceful speech is protected, disruptive behavior will face consequences.
