A TikTok posted by @autum1421 showing her leaving a restaurant mid-visit because the national anthem began playing has gone viral, drawing wide-ranging and divided responses.
She films herself seated at a table as the national anthem plays over the restaurant's sound system. Other diners are visible standing, many with their hands over their hearts.
The camera pans over to show several American flags and a Colorado state flag, along with walls covered in photographs, badges, and memorabilia honoring military veterans, police, and firefighters.
@autum1421 this is not a safe space i’m scared #denver #colorado
♬ original sound - VicBlends
"I was just sitting here," she said in the video, "and they started playing the national anthem." She described feeling "unsafe," saying she cannot be in spaces with American flags or the national anthem playing without fearing she will be "hurt."
"I feel like someone's gonna hurt me," she said. "Or even kill me. I have to leave." She then moves the camera across the dining room before walking out. No one in the restaurant is shown approaching her, speaking to her, or reacting to her departure.
Many were trying to identify the restaurant in the comments.
"where in denver do i [sic] know where not to go😭😭😭," one commenter wrote.
A TikTok user claimed that the restaurant was Mission BBQ, a chain known for playing the national anthem daily at noon as a tribute to military personnel, law enforcement, and fire departments.
"For anyone asking questions: this place is called Mission BBQ," the commenter wrote. "Every day they play the national anthem to honor our troops. The entire space is decked out in old pictures and badges and everything from troops that have served in the military as well as police and fire department."
This lady walked out of the restaurant because they were playing the national anthem.
— Goofies Of Chicago (@Chicago_Goofies) June 17, 2026
She says she doesn’t feel safe anywhere there’s an American flag or where the national anthem is being played. She believes that someone in the crowd is going to hurt her or, even worse, take… pic.twitter.com/gta1SPtwTA
However, one reply questioned whether the woman was in any real danger. "Probably the safest place to be," they wrote. "BTW she ate her meal in peace. No one bothered her, and the food was great."
Another reply agreed with the TikToker's sentiment, writing, "The way I would be so damn paranoid with my glass around those men… Cops are statistically domestic abusers and ive [sic] seen multiple ignore blatant roofies."
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in this video. The details above reflect the account as shared on TikTok by @autum1421. The specific location of the restaurant and its identification as a Mission BBQ location have not been independently confirmed.
