U.S. airline union calls for ban on pro-Trump mob

Washington, January 7 (RHC)-- A large union of flight attendants in the United States says violent supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump, who breached the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, should not be allowed to leave the Washington area on commercial flights after displaying “mob mentality behavior” on flights to the region.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Capitol was stormed by a violent pro-Trump mob as it was counting the Electoral College votes.  Four people were killed in the violence.  Security staff was overwhelmed and House members and Senators fled the scene as shots were fired to disperse the crowd.  Police later cleared the U.S. Capitol of the Trump supporters, enforced a curfew, and arrested 52 people.

“The mob mentality behavior that took place on several flights to the DC area yesterday was unacceptable and threatened the safety and security of every single person on board,” Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing workers at 17 airlines, said in a statement early on Thursday.  She added that the U.S. government must disqualify those individuals from the freedom of flight for their acts against democracy.

Separately, the president of the U.S. Travel Association, Roger Dow, also denounced the disruptions at the Capitol, saying; “The behavior we are witnessing has no place in any peaceful democracy.”