Nine Activists Arrested After Chaining Themselves to Kroger Headquarters

Overview

• Police and firefighters removed eight protesters who had chained themselves to an entrance of Kroger’s downtown Cincinnati headquarters on Wednesday and arrested nine people without reported injuries.
• The nine face criminal trespass and resisting arrest charges, bonded out of jail and did not appear at the immediate hearing, with a new court date set for Oct. 9.
• Animal Equality says the action responds to Kroger’s 2016 pledge to phase out eggs from caged hens by 2025 and announced a new Cincinnati office to sustain pressure for a public cage‑free timeline.
• Kroger issued a statement that it respects peaceful protest but condemned what it called extreme tactics that create safety concerns and said it is cooperating with law enforcement.
• The protesters’ attorney has pleaded not guilty and questioned whether refusing to unchain qualifies as resisting arrest under Ohio law, a legal point that could shape how courts balance protest rights and property safety.