Over the weekend, a flight from Tel Aviv landed in Dagestan, a Muslim-majority region of Russia that borders Georgia and Azerbaijan, and attracted a lynch mob based on rumors that there were Jews onboard.
[Warning: Violence]
The massive crowd pushed through Makhachkala Airport onto the tarmac, where they hauled the passengers off the plane and looked through their belongings.
In one video, the mob questions a man they suspect of being Jewish, demanding his passport and his phone.
The Associated Press notes that 20 people were injured and 60 were detained during the chaos.
The mob reportedly followed anyone they thought was Jewish, shaking cars and forming an angry crowd outside at least one hotel.
This is deeply unsettling, but I will note one thing.
In the midst of evil and chaos, there's always someone doing the right thing.
If you look at the video of the man being searched, there's a tall guy in a white T-shirt who comes up behind him and puts his arm around the man being questioned. He leans over and says something to the man, then pulls him away from the hostile crowd toward the police officers trying to force their way in.
I don't know this man's intentions, but various comment sections are calling him a protector. And it sure seems like that to me as well.
Even when the mob is calling for blood, always remember there are good guys out there. Many of you heard Fred Rogers say it best:
'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.
We're gonna need a lot of helpers in the times ahead, fam.
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