A firefighter in uniform unloaded on a pro-Palestinian protester dressed as Elmo near Ground Zero on the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The man called the protester “anti-American,” told the protestor to go back to Palestine, and instructed the man to take several prominent Democrats along with him. His list included former President Barack Obama, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The confrontation happened Friday, September 11th, only blocks from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, where families and public officials had gathered to remember those murdered in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Video showed the protester wearing a red Elmo costume while standing with a Palestinian flag. The exchange unfolded as the official Ground Zero ceremony was taking place nearby.
The firefighter immediately tore into the costumed protester with a profanity-laced denunciation. “F—ing anti-American motherf—er. Go back to f—ing Palestine. We don’t want you here,” he shouted. The man shifted from the protester to several prominent Democratic political figures, telling the protester to take them along.
As Fox News reported, footage of the encounter was captured by Turning Point USA and circulated online. The man’s name wasn’t reported, and it remained unclear whether he was a current or retired firefighter. FDNY later said he had never been a member of the New York City department and appeared to be affiliated with a different fire department.
“And take f—ing Obama. Take f—ing Mamdani with you. And f—ing AOC and Hochul,” the firefighter continued. “Take them all. They’re all no f—ing good. You’re no f—ing good. That’s right.” Another person could then be heard approving of the confrontation, saying, “Thank you. Nice job. Thank you,” as the firefighter began to move away.
The final moments of the clip brought a response from somewhere near the protest. A voice shouted, “The Jews are committing a genocide.” The person responsible wasn’t visible clearly enough to establish whether the remark came from the costumed protester or another participant. Turning Point USA described the confrontation as frustration from people attending the nearby memorial service spilling into the street.
Watch the profanity-laced confrontation here:
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Friday’s ceremony marked 25 years since al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners on September 11th, 2001. Two planes struck the World Trade Center towers, another hit the Pentagon, and passengers fought back aboard United Flight 93 before it crashed in Pennsylvania. The New York observance again centered on the reading of victims’ names and the families who have spent a quarter-century mourning their loved ones.
Mamdani, Hochul, and Ocasio-Cortez were among the political figures attending the Ground Zero ceremony, though Mamdani and AOC faced some backlash after appearing to smile and laugh during the reading of the names of those killed. Vice President JD Vance and the living former presidents also attended, while President Donald Trump delivered the keynote address at the Pentagon observance. Their presence placed several of the officials named by the firefighter within blocks of the confrontation.
Fox News contacted both FDNY and Turning Point USA about the video. FDNY said it was aware of footage showing a uniformed person engaged in a verbal confrontation but rejected any suggestion that the man represented the New York City department. The agency said he appeared to come from another department and “is not and has never been a member of the FDNY.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.