A University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill student felt “honored to give back to the nation” while defending the American flag on the Quad that protesters were trying to take down on Tuesday.
“Yesterday, my fraternity brother (Guillermo Estrada) and I were photographed holding the American flag in the quad of UNC-Chapel Hill during a protest. Since then, these photos have spread across the country, receiving media coverage, “I, my fraternity brothers, and others who defended the flag with us have received many messages of support,” Chapel Hill student Alex Jones said in a Wednesday post on X. “
Anti-Israel protesters initially replaced the US flag Tuesday morning – which was later flown at half-staff Four Charlotte officers killed In the line of duty on Monday – with the Palestinian flag before UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts stepped in with law enforcement officers to return the American flag.
When activists, some of whom were not affiliated with Chapel Hill, tried to take down the flag a second time, a group of students, including fraternity brothers, stepped in to prevent Old Glory from falling to the ground. A picture of this moment went viral on social media.
UNC Chapel Hill students hold the American flag during a campus protest Tuesday, April 30, 2024. During the demonstration, anti-Israel protesters replaced the American flag with the Palestinian flag. (Parker Ali/The Daily Tar Heel)
Jones explained, “For me, protecting the flag was not about taking a stance within the ongoing Israel-Palestine discourse.” “I recognize the pain and suffering experienced by both sides of that conflict. But my decision yesterday to defend the flag of the United States of America was not about any other nation. It was only about the importance of our country and the values that It was about what we believe in.”
He said he “believes in the right to free speech and peaceful protest” and “feels honored to give back to the nation that has given me and my family countless opportunities.”
“…honored to give back to the nation that has given me and my family countless opportunities.”
UNC Chapel Hill students hold the American flag during a campus protest Tuesday, April 30, 2024. During the demonstration, anti-Israel protesters replaced the American flag with the Palestinian flag. (Parker Ali/The Daily Tar Heel)
Jones wrote, “I am indebted to the hard work of my parents and this great nation and I am proud to be among those who stood up for it yesterday. I am proud to be an American.”
Since a photo of students holding the flag received thousands of likes this week — and positive reactions from politicians and celebrities alike — a GoFundMe created by a third party for the Chapel Hill chapter of Pi Kappa Sigma has raised more than $400,000. This fraternity is the party they deserve.”
The fraternity told Fox News Digital it is still trying to figure out if they have access to funds, as they haven’t created a GoFundMe themselves. Once and if they do, the fraternity will determine how to best use the funds.
The U.S. flag is surrounded by a temporary barrier at Polk Place at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on May 1, 2024. ((Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images))
A barricade has since been installed around the flagpole.
Chancellor Roberts told wral “This flag will stay up as long as I’m chancellor,” he said in a live broadcast of Tuesday’s protest, according to The Carolina Journal. First reported.
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“Let students know that we will keep them safe from minority students who want to disrupt their experience. This university is for everyone,” he said.
Anti-Israel protesters replace the American flag with the Palestinian flag during a demonstration on the University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Heather Diehl/The Daily Tar Heel)
The university confirmed on Tuesday that around 30 protesters were detained after they reportedly refused to give up their occupation of the Quad despite receiving a statement from university administrators asking them to vacate the site by 6 am. Were asked to do so or face expulsion.
At 6 a.m., UNC police “peacefully approached the group and detained approximately 30 people who refused to leave. During that time, protesters attempted to block UNC police vehicles by standing in front of them and throwing items at officers. Polk Place was cleared after UNC Facilities removed much of the debris from the area, the university said in a statement.
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The university added, “After the area was cleared, the remaining protesters escalated their tactics, attempting to force entry into the South Building by pushing off officers and refusing to comply with requests from Facilities and UNC Police.”
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“Over the past several months, we have spoken regularly and respectfully with protesters on our campus, consistently supporting their right to assemble and express their views. We have maintained the University’s longstanding policies on the use of shared public spaces. Roberts and Provost Chris Clemens said in their statement, “We have been clear that students and community members can gather and make their voices heard, but abide by university policies. should go.”
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Chapel Hill’s school-wide alert system, Alert Carolina, issued a “critical” advisory Tuesday informing students that classes and non-essential activities were canceled at noon.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
