A man shouting at travellers to ‘rise up’ against an airport’s mask requirement was met with silence and a few giggles.
The unmasked man, wearing a backpack and baseball cap, attempted to start the uprising at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, where he berated customers waiting on line.
“Take down your mask and rise up for f***ing freedom!” he yelled. “You want a revolution? Stand up!”
No one appeared to want a revolution. Customers continued to mind their own business in silence. A few laughed.
“American pride! American spirit! American liberty!” the man continued. “Nobody has it!”
One woman, apparently fed up with the man’s screaming, began coaxing him toward the exit.
“Rise up! Rise up! Rise up, America!” the would-be revolutionary repeated.
“Shut your f***ing mouth!” the woman replied, nudging him toward the door. “Shut your mouth and walk!”
Apparently discouraged, the man complied.
“F*** this s***!” he grumbled.
As Covid-19 has faded and then rebounded in the United States, mask requirements have become uneven across the country. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Americans – even fully vaccinated ones – should begin wearing masks again in some areas, reversing its previous advice. Different states, cities, and counties have responded differently.
Airports, however, are ruled by federal guidelines, which have consistently required masks. At Hartsfield-Jackson, a rebellion against this rule had few takers.
“I’m so over these people,” one person commented on a video of the screaming man shared on TikTok.
Another viewer summed up the scene succinctly: “Him: ‘Rise up!’ Everyone: ‘I’m just trying to get home.’”
