A brand-new tattoo shop in Over-the-Rhine is already out of business after its storefront windows were smashed and online critics accused the studio of using neo-Nazi imagery. The landlord moved quickly to shut things down, leaving a “Closed” sign on the door while crews work on repairs and neighbors debate what happened.
Photos shared on social media showed broken glass at Brass Beacon Tattoo at 1612 Elm St., and the building’s owner said the shop’s lease was terminated on Feb. 17. Public records list the business as Brass Beacon Tattoo LLC, registered in December, and owner Jacob Wilson told a reporter the accusations were not true. Those details and the landlord’s comments about repairs were reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Symbols and community reaction
Social posts and screenshots highlighted tattoo designs that critics said featured a Nazi-style eagle along with lightning-bolt imagery associated with the SS. The Anti-Defamation League classifies that style of eagle and SS-style lightning bolts as hate symbols tied to white-supremacist movements. That designation helped fuel a fast backlash online and calls for the landlord to step in.
Local tattoo community pushes back
Other Cincinnati tattoo artists were quick to separate themselves from the controversy. Several shops publicly distanced their businesses, and at least one studio apologized for an apprentice’s involvement while stressing that its artists do not create racist or hate-based work. Artists and nearby residents also pointed to older social-media posts and guest bookings they said suggested a pattern, and the landlord cited community concern in deciding to end the tenancy, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer…