A video of students wreaking havoc Wednesday in a Cincinnati Kroger after walking out of school for a purported anti-ICE demonstration has gone viral.
In the video, taken by McAdrian Martin, who was shopping at the time of the incident, students ran through aisles and threw objects at the store’s ceiling.
Martin said they were beer cans and other adult beverages that had been ripped from the shelves.
A security yelled at the students to get out of the store.
“It said, ‘F ICE,’” a female patron told Martin in the video, apparently referring to a sign held by one of the protesters. “They just came over here and went to the beer section and threw our beers.”
The students walked out of schools in the North College Hill School City School District to protest ICE, part of an ongoing national trend that left-wing activists claim is student-driven.
The school condemned the behavior in a Facebook post, even linking to the now-viral video.
“This video is disturbing and the parents and families of these students should be embarrassed,” the post said, adding that the school would be working with the North College Hill Police Department to “identify these students so they can be held accountable for their disorderly behavior.”
Craig Chaney, the department’s interim police chief, also posted a statement on Facebook.
“First and foremost, we recognize that peaceful expression is a constitutional right,” the statement began. “Our department respects the rights of students and community members to assemble and express their views lawfully and peacefully. During the high school protest, officers were present to ensure the safety of students, staff, and the public. Our primary role was to maintain order, prevent traffic hazards, and ensure that no one was placed at risk.”
While the department said a majority of the students protested in an orderly fashion, they moved in to quell the chaos when it arose.
“When actions moved beyond peaceful expression and began affecting public safety and private property rights, officers intervened to restore order,” the statement said.
In a candid interview with Fox News Digital, Martin shared his strong opinions on the delinquent youths.
“What about it was a group of students, North College Hills students, was protesting ICE, but they came in the store. They was being loud and obnoxious. They was damaging property, and they was interfering with the customers,” he said.
He said the ceiling of the store was damaged during the chaos, and one man was even hit in the head with a projectile. Martin noted that while the injury was not serious enough to call paramedics, the man was “highly upset.”
“I do think that whoever is responsible for the chaos ought to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the court,” said Martin. “It’s not safe for the environment. It’s not safe for the customers. It’s not safe for people. So, whoever was responsible and whoever did come to the store should be held liable by the law.”
North College Hill School City School District did not return a request for comment.
