in Capitol riot, Life

Alleged Capitol Rioter Caught On Video Sobbing After He Was Kicked Off Flight For Being A ‘Terrorist’

@heartlessputa/TikTok

Ever since the mob of Trump supporters violently entered the U.S. Capitol building, word choice has taken center stage.

First, they were called “protesters.” Then, critics adamantly identified the members of the crowd as “rioters” and “insurrectionists.”

Some went even further, calling them a disorganized cabal of “domestic terrorists.”

And accusations of terrorism inevitably invite speculation about no fly lists. As in, when all those rioters were finally shooed out of the Capitol—there were no arrests on the scene—did they have trouble boarding a plane home?

The largest flight attendant unions asked for the rioters to be banned from flights.

After all, if they were willing to assault police and storm the Capitol, how could flight attendants be expected to control them on a flight?

But whether or not the unions’ request was granted is unknown. But that didn’t stop people from making #NoFlyList trend on social media.

Suddenly every video of people kicked off flights were getting the hashtag. A viral TikTok video of a man sobbing and screaming at his gate in the airport got labeled a result of the no fly list.

@heartlessbeechHomeboy had a full toddler level meltdown bc he was told to wear a mask 🥱#fyp♬ original sound – Lizard King

Although the caption stated he was booted off the flight because he refused to wear a mask, he was seen with a mask in the video, albeit under his mouth.

The true motive was made even more confusing by the comments he shouted:

“This is what they do to us! They kicked me off this plane!”

“They called me a f’king terrorist and they wanna f’king ruin my life!”

Not surprisingly, comments on the TikTok video were excited by what looked like evidence Capitol rioters were being kicked off planes.

SunshineB/TikTok
Shelly Ortiz/TikTok
Ericka/TikTok
Dave Rollins/TikTok
user527623665726/TikTok

So when that TikTok video made its way over to Twitter in the form of multiple re-posts, the no-fly conclusion had some traction. 

But according to some reports, the story may not be so simple. 

Thoughts From the Wing, a travel advice blog, explained just how difficult it would have been to put the rioters on a no-fly list so quickly.

“Formal responsibility for the list rests with the TSA and under 49 U.S.C. § 46110 inclusion is only reviewable by circuit courts in which judges are required to defer to the TSA’s judgment about all alleged facts…”

“…and are permitted only to review the administrative record created by and provided to them by the TSA itself.”

Newsweek also looked into the incident.

They reached out directly to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to ask if, indeed, the rioters were placed on a no-fly list.

They received an ambiguous response.

“For security reasons we do not discuss the details other than to confirm that there are always multiple layers of security in place and that travelers may notice additional law enforcement and canine presence, especially when events justify an increased security posture.”

“What I can tell you is that TSA is always on high alert. We prepare for all contingencies.”

“As it relates to the No Fly list, we will accommodate FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] requests and congressional authorizations related to no fly lists.”

So while we cannot know exactly why that man was kicked off his flight, we do know exactly how countless people across the internet feel upon watching it. 

It’s a stressful time for many people for many reasons. But don’t harass flight staff if you want to stay on a flight.

If they tell you to wear a mask, put your mask on, sit down and buckle up.

Written by Eric Spring

Eric Spring lives in New York City. He has poor vision and cooks a good egg. Most of his money is spent on live music and produce. He usually wears plain, solid color sweatshirts without hoods because he assumes loud patterns make people expect something big. Typically, he'll bypass a handshake and go straight for the hug.