Two students from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—including Guillermo Estrada and Alex Jones—were awarded the “Award for Courage” at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards after stepping in to defend the American flag during an anti‑Israel protest on campus. They and their fraternity brothers intervened when the American flag was pulled down and a Palestinian flag was raised on April 30, 2024.
According to reports, protesters initially replaced the American flag on the quad with a Palestinian flag; later, when the American flag was re‑hoisted, students tried again to remove it. At that moment, the fraternity brothers physically held up the flag to prevent it from touching the ground, even as they were pelted with water bottles and rocks.
Estrada stated the flag represents the “beacon of hope” that led his parents to the U.S., while Jones emphasized his pride in standing for the flag and the nation that gave him and his family opportunities.
The university’s chancellor, Lee Roberts, reaffirmed that the American flag would remain on campus: “That flag will stay there as long as I am chancellor.”
This incident highlights tensions on campus related to the Israel‑Hamas conflict and illustrates how symbols of national identity can become focal points of protest and counter‑protest. For students advocating for national unity and respect for shared institutions, the fraternity’s actions serve as a prominent example of campus members actively defending a national emblem in a polarized setting.
