A group of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill protected the American flag from pro-Palestine protesters.
Protesters previously removed the flag and replaced it with the Palestinian flag.
Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts returned with police to raise the American flag.
Following the restoration of the American flag, Roberts said, “This university doesn’t belong to a small group of protesters. It belongs to every citizen of North Carolina,” adding, “The flag represents all of us.”
“To take down that flag, and put up another flag, no matter what other flag it is – that’s antithetical to who we are, what this university stands for, what we have done for 229 years.”
Students can be heard yelling in protest.
“That flag will stand here as long as I am chancellor,” Roberts stated.
Later, protesters returned to replace the flag. A fraternity then came to protect the flag and sang the National Anthem.
One student, Guillermo Estrada, took to X to share what occurred.
“Today was a sad yet empowering day at Chapel Hill. When I walked to class, I saw the Palestinian flag raised on our quad flag pole, and was immediately upset at the act that these ‘protestors’ had made. I cannot say I am fully educated on the Israel/Palestine conflict, but it upset me that my country’s flag was disrespected in order to advocate for another. Shortly after, Chancellor Roberts came with police officers to hang the flag once again. They were met with profanity, middle fingers, thrown bottles, rocks, and water.”
“When the flag was raised once again, the greek community began singing the National anthem. As the Chancellor left, the quad erupted into chaos as protestors began removing the flag once again, preparing to destroy it,” the student continued, adding that the fraternity “stood for an hour defending the flag so many fight to protect.”
“My parents started a new life in the United States, a country that has helped them flourish and raise two kids. I grew up in a Military community and saw first hand the sacrifices they make. I will not stand for the disrespect these ‘protestors’ cause for the sake of another country. My LDOC will be memorable in knowing that my fraternity brothers and others fought to keep the flag up. But it was also be memorable in knowing that so many yearn to disrespect it.”
Another student, Brendan Rosenblum, had “water bottles thrown at him as he stood in the middle of the quad by with an Israeli flag while protesters tried to replace an American flag with a Palestinian one,” a social media post read. “Classes today have just been cancelled.”
