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Why is Cincinnati Jazz Festival trending on X? Sen. Bernie Moreno, Elon Musk, Ramaswamy react to viral assault video
Following a viral violent incident in Cincinnati, Ohio leaders, including Cecil Thomas, criticized the bystander response and called for police intervention.
A violent fight that was caught on camera early Saturday morning in Cincinnati near the junction of Fourth Street and Elm Street has gone viral, eliciting responses from both local and national political heavyweights.
Leaders in Cincinnati, including Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Kearney and Police Chief Terri Theetge, have denounced the incident.
An unnamed witness stated that the altercation commenced a few minutes prior to the incident captured on camera. A man who appeared to be inebriated, as per the witness, was captured on camera.
The man left but he came back around fifteen minutes later with a group of others who were heard hurling racist remarks.
The witness further claimed that the situation worsened as punches were exchanged.
Social media users have responded to two videos on X: One depicts a man who seems to be having difficulty standing up while being struck and kicked by several others.
In the second video, a woman can be seen getting assaulted, falling on the ground, and hitting her head on the concrete.
Here's what Cincinnati officials said
In a statement, Ohio State Representative Cecil Thomas expressed his embarrassment at the actions.
Thomas said this kind of violence is "unacceptable", adding that the situation may have been resolved sooner if people had called the police rather than recording the incident on their phones.
He called the incident video “nothing short of cruel and absolutely unacceptable.”
According to Theetge, her team is actively investigating the situation and trying to find everyone responsible for the harm.
She clarified that the incident was an abrupt disagreement between people after a verbal altercation, stressing that it had nothing to do with the Music Fest.
Ken Kober, president of the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police, described the violence in the video as “disgusting”.
Elon Musk and Bernie Moreno react
In a post on X, Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio criticized Mayor Aftab Pureval for not releasing a statement, describing the attack as “heinous.”
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, raised awareness of the scuffle by reposting an account discussing the incident and posing the question, “Why zero stories?”
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Republican candidate for governor of Ohio Vivek Ramaswamy, who was born and raised in Cincinnati, also offered his thoughts, saying that it's horrible to witness this sort of heinous violence on the streets.
“It’s a shame that Democrats in our state remain silent when so many of their constituents are suffering from their lax-on-crime policies,” he said.
“We’re going to bring law and order back to cities across Ohio on my watch. It’s time for a new generation to lead with a spine,” Ramasawmy added.
