Online t-shirt stores are being blasted for carrying an item mocking the people who died after falling from a plane in an attempt to flee the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Clips of Afghan civilians trying to cling to the tire of a departing plane have become an enduring visual during this crisis.
The distressing footage is shared everywhere online.
Scenes of absolute desperation in #Kabul airport today: Afghan civilians chase & cling to US C-17 plane in last att… https://t.co/fXOUz6mncL— Joyce Karam (@Joyce Karam) 1629109600.0
On social media, a shirt mocking the situation was highly criticized. The shirt was available on online retailers Etsy, Tee4Sport, and TShirtAtLowPrice.
The shirt has the words "Kabul Skydiving Club" and "Est. 2021" on it, along with a picture of people falling from a plane.
Online users were horrified at the image being sold on a t-shirt.
Social media users voiced their anger and disgust after some online retailers put up for sale a T-shirt showing Afg… https://t.co/HzISi9iA9N— Siasi Dugout (@Siasi Dugout) 1629539332.0
@alpakino There’s noooo way this is real what— زارا جان (@زارا جان) 1629561220.0
This is just so wrong! Shame on you V-Shirt! Disrespectful big time! #KabulHasFallen #Kabul https://t.co/SJO9F8xM1V— crypTony Soprano™ (@crypTony Soprano™) 1629457158.0
The spread of a shirt in America mocking the fall of the Afghans off the plane at the Kabul airport. This is really… https://t.co/gWuEnmJsi6— world News (@world News) 1629398106.0
Gladly swap the designers of this shirt for any number of #afghanistanwomen #AfghanWomen & children. I say toss the… https://t.co/X4ygVwJDOK— david mccoy (@david mccoy) 1629647764.0
saw a shirt that read "kabul skydiving club" like wow funny its so great that u are distant enough from a conflict/… https://t.co/JVfQXGjjeZ— Dr. Aspergeruis (@Dr. Aspergeruis) 1629495296.0
A number of commenters called on the websites to remove the offensive item.
Hey @Etsy, Can you remove this **horrible** item (and likes of it) from your website? https://t.co/vKWm1BuPSH I un… https://t.co/Rpdc22fxCn— Behzad Golshan (@Behzad Golshan) 1629348892.0
Hey @Etsy! Why do you sell t-shirts ridiculing #Afghans who have died falling off an airplane in @Kabul? Cc:… https://t.co/D8s2SimDO9— Sangar | سنګر پیکار (@Sangar | سنګر پیکار) 1629414546.0
T-shirt with the tagline “Kabul Skydiving Club” mocking the death of Afghans, who fell to their death from a US Air… https://t.co/c77wN3nGAE— Afghan English (@Afghan English) 1629576778.0
@Etsy Retailers slammed for 'Kabul Skydiving' shirts mocking Afghans falling from jet https://t.co/gLvej4U7in— Steve Wehmhoff (@Steve Wehmhoff) 1629502150.0
As of writing Etsy and Tee4Sport have removed the shirt, but it is still available in some other stores.
The incident was compared unfavorably to another incident where Amazon was selling a children's t-shirt that showed the murder of George Floyd.