Originally Posted by
AGBagb
The suggestion is that the passengers and crew could physically have de-planed, but the issue would then be whether they were or were not in a restricted area.
AGB
What utter rubbish. Security exists FOR the passengers, not the other way around. The passengers should have taken the initiative, and then made the security procedures serve their purposes. If the PIC either could not or would not make the proper decision, they should have deplaned themselves onto the tarmac. That would get some authorities there "toot sweet". At least if they decided to take them all to jail, a bus would be required and the toilets there wouldn't be overflowing. Sort that out with the judge.