The reliably placid streets of Nocatee were plunged into chaos last month after controversial YouTuber Jeff Gray pulled into the master planned community to record a new video.
The self described free speech activist has earned eccentric online renown for standing sentry in public locations while holding a small cardboard sign reading “God Bless the Homeless Vets.”
Gray does not ask for money, and initiates engagement with puzzled pedestrians with a greeting and a wave.
Opinion is split as to the efficacy and intent of Gray’s exhibitions, with some dismissing him as an attention-hungry provocateur and others lauding his dogged defense of free speech rights.
Gray has argued that he serves an important purpose by stress-testing the boundaries of public speech, while critics brand him a legally-protected nuisance..
The St. Johns County-based veteran — who now boasts 332,000 YouTube subscribers — brought his cardboard crusade into Nocatee on Feb. 20, immediately drawing both cheers and jeers.
A video of the polarizing Ponte Vedra odyssey has already drawn nearly a half million views since first airing.
Several motorists appear to recognize the cyber-celebrity and stop to greet him.
“Dude, you’re awesome,” one local tells Gray.
Another backer appears starstruck by his unexpected cameo in the area.
“I watch your videos!” he can be heard exclaiming. “I finally got to see you personally!”
Another driver offers the affable activist money, which he politely declines.
Others were less tickled by Gray’s display, and his appearance triggered a flurry of calls to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
One motorist told Gray that his presence was scaring local women and children who were making their way home from school at the time.
Matters deteriorated sharply when one man in a truck demanded that Gray get lost — and exited his vehicle at one point to confront him directly.
“This is private property and you’re begging,” he can be heard telling Gray before alighting from his rig. “You’re not allowed to park on our grass either. This is private property. Get our of our neighborhood.”
After Gray declined the directive, the miffed motorist stops his vehicle in the intersection and approaches his nemesis, at one point calling him an “f—— idiot” and a “douchebag” before driving off.
“The worst part about this is you’re a vet,” he tells Gray.
Later, another man pulls up and informs Gray that he planned to personally secure the area while kids returned home from school, explaining that parents were uneasy.
“They’re just not used to people standing around,” he explained earnestly before returning to his vehicle to monitor the situation from across the street.
A pair of bemused bicyclists then halt near Gray, with one warning him that law enforcement had been called and another concerned that his parked truck would disturb the area’s sprinkler system.
The spectacle quickly widened as a young man on an e-bike stops to offer Gray money before pedaling away, leaving the remaining inquisitors silent.
The veteran at one point notes in the video that a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Deputy — likely well acquainted with his one-man demonstrations — drove by him with a friendly wave.
