A social media video from a California restaurant showed Americans singing the national anthem, and many people responded with fear and fury.
A TikTok user recorded footage from the Rainbow Oaks diner in Fallbrook, a tiny community north of San Diego, with customers standing up, placing their hands on their hearts, and singing the national anthem.
“By far this was the most dangerous situation that I’ve ever been in,” she said, adding hashtags for “white people stuff.”
The video quickly went viral, with more than three million views on TikTok along with more than 17,000 comments.
KUSI-TV dispatched a reporter to the eatery to cover the 6-year-old daily tradition. She described it as the “most patriotic restaurant” she had ever visited.
Others on social media platforms were less thrilled, as Fox News reported.
“This is a serious question. Is this for real? Do folks truly do this in real life?” said one person.
“As someone coming from the UK, this feels very dystopian,” said another.
“In Spain, we do not hear the national anthem played that often, so this would completely freak me out,” remarked another person.
“This feels like something out of a horror film. Everyone gets up immediately as the song starts playing, and you’re the only one who isn’t standing up for the initiative,” reads another remark.
Others have described it as “cultish,” “scary,” as well as “nightmarish.”
Fallbrook is a tiny town of roughly 30,000 people located about 30 minutes from the ocean.
