TikToker’s Mistaken Identity of Flags Sparks Viral Video

A social media video showing a woman tearing down Greek flags outside a restaurant in Montclair, New Jersey, has garnered widespread attention. The incident involved a TikTok user known as “Ambamelia” who mistakenly believed the flags were Israeli, rather than Greek.

In the video, which has been watched over 3.2 million times on TikTok and accrued millions more views on X, the woman recorded herself pulling down the flags while expressing support for Palestine. “The time I mistakenly thought the flag for Greek was for Israel and took the restaurant’s flag down OMG,” she captioned her viral post.

The footage shows her pulling down a string of Greek flags outside Efi’s Gyro, a local dining establishment. “Free Palestine, bitch!” she shouted, drawing the attention of the restaurant staff inside, who looked bewildered at the scene.

Upon realizing her error, after being told by a staff member that the flags were indeed Greek, the woman exclaimed, “What? Really? Oh, I thought it was Israel—my bad.”

Restaurant owner Efi Mihalis confirmed the incident took place on March 11 and reported it to the police. Mihalis, who opened the restaurant at age 18 in 2021, hopes to dispel rumors that the video was a fabricated stunt. “It was not a skit as some people believe,” she told The New York Post, stressing the incident was real and unplanned.

While the Greek and Israeli flags share blue and white colors, they differ significantly in design. The Greek flag features stripes and a cross, while the Israeli flag includes a star of David between two stripes.

Comments on the social media platform were largely critical, with many highlighting the misunderstanding as “embarrassing.” One user commented, “Why did you post this?!! 😭😭😭🤣,” while another pointed to a failing education system.

This incident reflects broader tensions following recent Middle Eastern conflicts, where other anti-Israel vandalism cases have been reported, such as an incident involving a kosher restaurant in December.