A host of anti-American protests have broken out on university campuses across the nation in recent weeks, but these events have also served to highlight a number of pro-American students willing to stand up for their beliefs in the midst of the disruptive demonstrations.
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at the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity house at UNC-Chapel Hill on Tuesday.
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One such incident occurred on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill, when protesters attempted to remove the American flag and replace it with a Palestinian banner.
That’s when a group of fraternity members stepped in and their patriotic actions quickly spread online.
Some of the individuals involved have since spoken publicly about their decision, as reported by Fox News:
“We were kind of baffled,” Will said of his experience watching the Palestinian flag raise up on the flag pole at the American university.
“My biggest fear was that they had taken it down, it was under their feet or they’re gonna try to light fire to it or something, but it ended up being taken by police,” he added. “We hung out, [but] we were getting increasingly frustrated because we’re both relatively neutral in the conflict. At the end of the day, it’s a world away from here and we can’t make much of a difference from North Carolina. It immediately became an issue for me and for a lot of other people that the American flag came down.”
Colby Kelley, president of UNC’s Turning Point chapter and member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, told Fox News Digital that members of Turning Point held up a smaller American flag while the Palestinian flag was on display.
“We were over there holding a smaller American flag to try to show that there was a presence here on campus, that what their actions were doing was a large disgrace to the country at large,” he said.
At that point, Will said they witnessed police officers mobilizing and saw Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts approaching the protest to address students. At that point, Will said he and his friends removed themselves from the immediate action since they were within ten feet of the flagpole as the pro-Palestinian crowd started to get “increasingly violent towards the police.”
“I watched police officers get hit with these water bottles, food, chairs, people were throwing anything they could find,” he said. “So we’re walking out and all of a sudden it looked like from our point of view that something happened, I think the protesters rushed the police.”
One of the fraternity members shared his reaction via social media:
(Thread) Yesterday, my fraternity brother @estradguillermo and I were photographed holding up the American flag in the Quad of UNC-Chapel Hill during the protests. Since then, these images have spread, receiving media coverage nationwide. pic.twitter.com/3HjaSXGiCL
— Alex Jones (@a_jones331) May 1, 2024
Both myself, my fraternity brother, and the others who protected the flag with us have received many messages of support. For this, I am truly humbled.
For me, protecting the flag was not about taking a stance within the ongoing Israel-Palestine discourse.— Alex Jones (@a_jones331) May 1, 2024
I recognize the pain and suffering experienced by both sides of that conflict. But my decision yesterday to protect the flag of the United States was not about any other nation. It was simply about the importance of our country and the values we believe in.
— Alex Jones (@a_jones331) May 1, 2024
I believe in the right to free speech and peaceful protest.
I am honored to give back to the nation that has given me and my family countless opportunities.— Alex Jones (@a_jones331) May 1, 2024
I owe everything 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.— Alex Jones (@a_jones331) May 1, 2024
Their actions to protect the American flag drew widespread applause, including in an ad by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
According to the New York Post:
A GoFundMe started to throw the bros “a rager” has generated more than $500,000 — which included a $10,000 assist from hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman.
“While campuses struggle to get control of their students, at UNC Chapel Hill, they are bringing order back,” the video begins.
The students “stood strong” despite being “pelted with bottles and rocks,” the ad continued.
“I think the most popular college students right now are the ones at UNC,” Matthew Foldi, a notable D.C. gadfly, said in the ad.
Even White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had to pay lip service to their patriotic display.
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