By Michael Austin September 14, 2026 at 4:00am
A firefighter in New York City went viral on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 for rebuking protestors demonstrating in favor of Palestine near a memorial service.
The unidentified firefighter called one protester wearing an Elmo costume — and draped in a Palestine flag — an “anti-American motherf***er.”
The footage, posted on X by Turning Point USA’s Frontlines project, received nearly 6 million views.
Warning: This video contains explicit language that may be offensive to some viewers.
NEW: A NYC firefighter just unloaded on a pro Palestine activist in an Elmo costume.
Frustration from Americans attending the 9/11 memorial service a few blocks away is spilling over. @choeshow|@TPUSA pic.twitter.com/lUNVTGJTjB— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) September 11, 2026
“Go back to f***ing Palestine. We don’t want you here!” the firefighter added.
The first responder’s impassioend rant also called out several leading Democrats for their sympathy toward Islam.
“And take f***ing Obama. Take f***ing Mamdani with you, and f***ing AOC. And Hochul. Take them all!”
New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a Muslim, while New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul recently garnered criticism for wearing a hijab in a mosque.
“They’re all no f***ing good. You’re no f***ing good,” the firefighter made clear.
In response, one Palestine supporter appeared to shout, “The Jews are committing a genocide!”
The Palestine protesters near the memorial service were by no means the only ones making the landmark anniversary of the worst terror attack in U.S. history about their views on the Hamas-Israel conflict.
During the 9/11 anniversary game at Yankee Stadium, 38-year-old Kelly Marcucci waved a Palestine flag and rushed the field, after which he was tackled to the ground.
Mets and Yankee fans chant “USA” in unison after a fan ran on the field with a Palestine flag. 🇺🇸#SubwaySeries #LGM #Mets #RepBX #Yankees #MLB pic.twitter.com/uJWLYLe7Dz
— Top Bunk Sports AKA NBA World Champion (@Topbunksports) September 12, 2026
He is now facing misdemeanor charges for interference with a professional sporting event and trespassing, according to a report from the New York Post.
Marcucci reportedly rushed the field at exactly 9:11 p.m.
Fans started chanting “USA!” once he was brought down.
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Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
