An 87-year-old Air Force veteran is being hailed as a folk hero after his arrest during a protest of President Donald Trump’s administration in Washington, D.C. last week.
John Spitzberg of Gainesville, Florida, was among about 75 people arrested for allegedly crossing a police line during a June 13 demonstration outside of the Supreme Court building. Footage of Spitzberg’s arrest showed him being taken off of his walker and handcuffed by police officers as protesters shouted, “Shame!”
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On Sunday, journalist Chuck Modi posted a TikTok video of Spitzberg being released after his arrest. When asked how he felt about being arrested at 87, Spitzberg replied, “I’m just beginning, my friend.”
“I’m gonna just get a little sleep, but I’m starting again,” he added.
As of Tuesday, Modi’s clip had been viewed more than 2 million times and drawn a plethora of supportive comments.
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“That is Captain America right there!!!” one person wrote.
Added another: “This man fought fascists back in the day and sadly still has to fight them today. But love that he is not giving up!”
According to Florida-based ABC affiliate WCJB, Spitzberg spent years in Ukraine, Romania and Vietnam while enlisted in the Air Force.
Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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When asked by the outlet about the attention he’s received in the wake of his arrest, Spitzberg said he wished more people would focus on the subject of his protest: Trump and the staggering cost of the president’s military parade, held Saturday.
“I’m really not the issue. The issue is what President Trump is doing,” he said. “I’m not a leader there. I don’t wanna be a leader.”
An estimated 4 to 6 million people participated in “No Kings” protests against Trump across the U.S. last weekend, which some say indicates a surge in activism against the president in his second term.
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