What started as a student protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in North College Hill on Wednesday afternoon spilled from the sidewalks into the local Kroger, turning the grocery run into something far more chaotic.
Video from inside the store shows dozens of teenagers rushing in, tossing cans and bottles, and leaving shelves and ceiling tiles damaged. Shoppers can be seen scrambling for the exits while employees try to herd the crowd back outside. At least one customer was reported hurt as North College Hill police moved into the store to restore order.
Interim Police Chief Craig Chaney later tried to thread the needle between protecting protest rights and denouncing what happened in the aisles. In a statement posted on Facebook, he said the department "respects the rights of students and community members to assemble and express their views lawfully and peacefully." He added that while most participants complied with lawful directives, officers "intervened to restore order" after behavior inside the Kroger began to affect public safety and private property, according to WKRC.
Shopper McAdrian Martin captured some of the most widely shared footage. He described "50-plus students coming at once" and recorded the group chanting about ICE before several sprinted toward the beer and wine aisles and began hurling cans and bottles. Martin told reporters that a man was struck and that ceiling tiles were visibly damaged by the flying bottles. His video and eyewitness account were provided to local newsrooms on Wednesday, as reported by FOX19.
North College Hill City Schools did not mince words in response. Superintendent Dr. Eugene Blalock Jr. called the footage "disturbing" and said the district would work with police to identify the students involved so they "can be held accountable," according to WLWT. City Councilmember Kathy Cureton told the station that she supports peaceful protest but said those who went into the store "crossed a line" and put bystanders at risk.
Officials, arrests and the probe
Police said two students were arrested in connection with an incident tied to the day's events, but emphasized that those arrests were related to a separate investigation, per WKRC. Officers remained at the Kroger to keep protesters and customers separated and to review surveillance footage and witness statements while the department and the school district followed up.
No names or charges were released on Wednesday as investigators continued combing through video of the chaos inside the store.
Local protest wave and context
The disruption did not happen in a vacuum. It came amid a wave of student-led anti ICE demonstrations that have rolled across the Cincinnati area this month, with hundreds marching in solidarity with Minneapolis protests earlier in February, according to WVXU. Organizers have said they are responding to national immigration enforcement actions, while local officials have urged students to keep demonstrations peaceful and to avoid putting the public in harm's way.
What could come next
For now, officials say the investigation into the Kroger incident is ongoing. Potential disciplinary or criminal consequences will be decided after authorities determine exactly who went into the store and who caused the damage. The school district has said it will cooperate fully with police and will pursue school-based discipline where appropriate, according to WLWT.
