“You can’t yell fire in a crowded theater” is a common expression meant to suggest that there are limits to free speech. The idea is that there are consequences to causing a false panic, and the speaker is responsible for those.
This is a paraphrase of Oliver Wendell Holmes in Schenck v. United States, a case in which a man had been convicted of distributing flyers against the draft in World War I.
Of course the court’s holding limiting free speech rights in Schenck was overturned in 1969 by Brandenburg v. Ohio limiting the government’s power to punish speech to where it was intended to and actually caused imminent lawless action such as a riot.
Nonetheless, we all know the axiom that you can’t yell fire in a crowded theater — or the modern equivalent, you can’t yell Allahu Akbar on a crowded plane.
Copyright: trevorbenbrook / 123RF Stock Photo
Most of us know that one, anyway. A group of men onboard a Ryanair flight from Brussels to Madrid this morning didn’t know it though. Granted US first amendment law doesn’t apply in Belgium, but then the US government often seems to think it doesn’t apply in airports either.
This morning’s Ryanair flight FR2947 was delayed when a man yelled “Allahu Akbar” onboard ostensibly as ‘a joke’.
The pilot of the aircraft refused to fly not just with the man who yelled but any of the 9 people traveling together.
All the luggage had to be taken off as the bomb squad was called in with sniffer dogs.
Nothing was found and the plane was eventually allowed to leave at 9.25am.
Amazingly this caused only a two hour delay. I would have expected offloading, searching, and reloading baggage and other security signoffs to take much longer.
The man was detained and is being prosecuted for ‘causing a false bomb scare’ which does seem a little much however. He ought simply be sentenced to watch Airplane! 100 times and he’ll learn the basic lesson.
Yes, heaven forbid that someone yells “God is great.” That’s just terrorism, plain and simple.
(Also, the Holmes line came in a *dissent* from the majority opinion, so it doesn’t quite apply in the way you’re making out)
WHat a bunch of pansies to panic over someone yelling “God is great”.
@Total
The court was unanimous in Schenck
Talk about overreacting!
What if a pax on the plane sneezed and another pax said (loudly) “God bless you”? I mean, where does it end?
@James K. You’re right and I’m wrong. What I was trying to remember was that Holmes backed away from Schenck about as quickly as he could. Popehat has a good analysis:
https://www.popehat.com/2012/09/19/three-generations-of-a-hackneyed-apologia-for-censorship-are-enough/
@Total
Gotchu
First off maybe you should actually read the articles you link to instead of commenting that you feel this was “a little much”. If you had read the article you would see “They were getting on board the Ryanair plane to head for Madrid when one of them was heard shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ AND indicating there was a bomb on board.” Get that? Not only did the guy shout Allahu Akbar but he frickin indicated there was a bomb on board. Also this was in belgium where last year 32 people were killed by terrorist suicide bombers, including a bombing at that same airport. Not to mention in August soldiers were attacked in the Belgian capital with a knife while shouting “Allahu Akbar”. Seriously I hope he gets tossed into a jail cell for a little while to send a message to people this is not some sort of joking matter, especially in a country where people have been killed by terrorist bombings and it really boggles my mind that you somehow think this is an over reaction?
Lol. Only happens in coward western civilization. Do that in MH, GA, SV, BI, AK, and the likes, and nobody cares.
Racist article is good for clickbait. And racism against muslim is justified in aviation geek bloggers since 9/11, eventough jetfuel (cannot) melt steel beams. Lol
See Bill’s comment. I’ll bet anyone anywhere of any ethnicity will run into trouble if they say a bomb is on board a plane. There are things you just don’t joke about. The authorities did not overreact.
There are some things that just cannot be said on a plane. Forty years ago, if a passenger on a US flight even mentioned the possibility of the plane going to Cuba, he would be detained and questioned. I think anyone with a brain knows what kinds of things not to say on a plane. This guy was either drunk or just pushing the limits, or both.