New Jersey incident sparks confusion and viral backlash
A TikTok video showing a woman ripping down what she believed to be Israeli flags outside a New Jersey restaurant has gone viral, only for her to later discover that the flags were Greek. The clip, posted by a user named “Ambamelia,” has amassed over 3.2 million views on TikTok and millions more on X (formerly Twitter) since being shared on Tuesday.
A misguided protest
In the video, the woman can be seen pulling down the blue and white striped flags from outside Efi’s Gyro in Montclair, New Jersey, while expressing her outrage over Israeli policies. She believed the flags symbolized Israel but was quickly embarrassed when it was pointed out they were Greek flags.
“The time I mistakenly thought the flag for Greek was for Israel and took the restaurant’s flag down OMG,” the caption of the TikTok video reads.
During the video, the woman can be heard saying, “Look at that s–t,” as she tears down the flags, before storming into the restaurant and declaring, “Free Palestine, b–h! What you looking at?” She then confronts the staff, holding a fistful of flags and exclaiming, “You know there’s a genocide.” She goes on to say, “I don’t stand for Zionism in Montclair!” while waving the flags.
“There is nothing against people who are Jewish, but this is not OK,” she continues.
The situation takes a turn when two confused restaurant staffers inform her that the flags are not Israeli, but Greek.
“What? Really? Oh, I thought it was Israel — my bad,” the TikToker responds, visibly embarrassed. “Oh s–t … it looked like Israel.”
Restaurant owner confirms the incident was real
While many viewers initially speculated that the video might have been a staged skit due to the absurdity of the situation, the owner of Efi’s Gyro confirmed to The New York Post that the incident was genuine.
Efi Mihalis, who opened the restaurant in 2021 at the age of 18, stated that the event took place on March 11, 2024, though it was only posted online recently. Mihalis also revealed that a police report had been filed at the time.
“It was not a skit as some people believe,” she said. “This was not planned nor was it calculated in any way,” adding that everyone present was “taken aback” when it occurred.
Online reactions and backlash
The bizarre incident has sparked widespread confusion and criticism on social media. Many users questioned why TikToker would post such an embarrassing moment, while others highlighted the lack of awareness displayed in the video.
One user commented, “Our education system is failing us, I can’t,” capturing the disbelief shared by many viewers.
As of now, the TikToker has not provided any further explanation for why she chose to post the video months after the incident took place.