MENTOR, Ohio — A Lake County protester says she was assaulted by a man who disagreed with her political viewpoints during a recent rally in Mentor.
Mentor Police confirmed they’re investigating an incident from a September 16 protest on the Hopkins Road bridge over State Route 2.
A group has been holding weekly rallies on the bridge, protesting everything from immigration enforcement to global conflicts to the president himself.
“We get a lot of support, a lot of beeping, peace signs,” said Jennifer Addleman. “Everybody’s entitled to their free speech. We understand that. We’ll get a middle finger here and there, some shouting, some name calling.”
Last Tuesday, she said things escalated.
“I did not expect something like that. I expected him to leave,” Addleman recalled.
She shared a cell phone video that she began recording after she said a bicyclist riding past got aggressive, spitting on one of the protesters and trying to take an upside-down American flag away from the woman.
In the video, Addleman can be heard shouting for the man to back away from the woman.
He shouted back, “Back up? OK, I’ll back up.”
Addleman can be seen falling to the ground before the phone camera lands face down.
“He took his bike and went about two or three steps and knocked me over on my elbows and my head,” she said. “It’s just instant chaos. I can’t get it out of my head.”
Mentor Police said it’s investigating the incident. Officers eventually identified the bicyclist and interviewed all parties. Investigators are turning over their report to the prosecutor to determine whether charges will be filed.
Addleman said she hopes the man is charged with assault. She’s also calling for more constructive and respectful dialogue.
“I hope it bothers him that he went after a woman for doing nothing but recording and hollering,” she said.
State Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) represents Mentor and other communities in District 18. He’s on the opposite side of the political spectrum, but agrees that political disagreements are growing increasingly heated.
“I have always believed in proper civil discourse between parties that are disagreeing on things,” Cirino said. “The danger is political rhetoric, that is protected generally under free speech, is heard by people who are marginal on the emotional side of things and they decide that they need to take action.”
He pointed to acts of violence, including the killing of Charlie Kirk and assassination attempts on President Trump. As a primary sponsor of the controversial SB 1 higher education bill, he said he sometimes worried for his own safety.
“I’ve had to have police keep close watch around my residence. And around Columbus there were times when I’ve had to have escorts,” Cirino said, adding he has not been discouraged from doing his job.
Addleman said the recent incident has taken a toll on her physically and emotionally. She has not attended any rallies since the alleged assault, but her fellow protesters have continued to hold regular gatherings.
She’s calling for more civil discourse and unity.
“We’re in a bad way, plain and simple,” she said. “We need to come together. United we stand, divided we fall.”
