KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — "I'm Yassin from Knoxville, Tennessee and in Knoxville, we love each other and respect the results of democracy," said Yassin Terou, the owner of Yassin's Falafel House.
The post was in response to a viral video of a rioter at the U.S. Capitol who was briefly interviewed Wednesday, after storming the building. She was part of a riot where four people died, and which caused lawmakers to evacuate while counting Electoral College votes following the 2020 presidential election.
Terous also posted several other responses to the riots. He said that the events should be remembered, and emphasized that people should not be proud of them. He said students should be taught that the riots were wrong and that people should respect democracy.
"When you add gas to a fire the only thing you collect is chaos," he also said with a hashtag — #WeStayUnitedNotDivided.
Terou, a refugee from Syria, also emphasized that the U.S. is unique in that it is not controlled by dictators and said that all people in the country have a voice in politics.
"Praying for the safety of our people and our country," he said early during the riots.
Yassin Terou has helped coordinate relief efforts following the tornados around Nashville in March, helped feed people in Knoxville during the first few days of the COVID-19 pandemic and his restaurant has been named the "Nicest Place in America" by Reader's Digest.
