Amid Anti-Israel Protests, These Fraternity Brothers Prove Patriotism Endures at US Colleges

Virginia Allen : May 2, 2024
The Daily Signal

"If any of these GREAT Young Men want a PAID summer internship with my campaign, consider yourself HIRED." -Kari Lake, Republican candidate for US Senate in Arizona

[DailySignal.com] A scene Tuesday at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill proves that patriotism isn't dead on all American college campuses. (Screengrab image: via X)

While an American flag was hoisted up the tall flagpole in the middle of the UNC campus, students chanted "USA, USA, USA" and later burst into a rendition of the national anthem. 

The patriotic display at UNC came after pro-Palestine protesters removed an American flag from the pole and replaced it with a Palestinian flag. The anti-Israel protesters then surrounded the pole and chanted "intifada" and "free, free Palestine," videos shared on X by UNC's student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, show.

As at other campuses, UNC's anti-Israel protesters are vocal in their support for Palestinians and often use antisemitic language.

The protests at campuses across the nation came about seven months after Hamas terrorists from the adjacent Gaza Strip invaded southern Israel, raping and torturing many and taking hostages. Israel Defense Forces continue to strike back hard in Gaza, where Hamas, the elected government, uses ordinary Palestinian civilians as shields.

UNC's interim chancellor, Lee Roberts, flanked by police, moved through the protest Tuesday and took down the Palestinian flag. He restored the American flag to the pole, triggering the pro-American chants.

"That flag will stand here as long as I'm chancellor," Lee told reporters present, pointing to the banner.

"Tell the students that we're going to keep them safe from a very small minority of students who want to disrupt their experience," he said, adding, "This university is for everybody."

After the chancellor left, pro-Palestine protesters lowered the American flag again.

This time, a group of fraternity brothers stepped in and held up the flag so it wouldn't touch the ground. Meanwhile, some pro-Palestine protesters yelled insults at the young men and threw water bottles at them.

Commenting on the UNC fraternity brothers' actions, Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for US Senate in Arizona, wrote on X: "If any of these GREAT Young Men want a PAID summer internship with my campaign, consider yourself HIRED." 

Pro-Palestine protests and related encampments broke out on college campuses across America in April.

Columbia University in New York was the first campus to experience the anti-Israel protests. Tuesday night, the New York Police Department made more than 100 arrests at Columbia as officers cleared protesters' encampment on campus and Hamilton Hall, a building that protesters had taken over... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Virginia Allen is a senior news producer and podcast host for The Daily Signal and is the co-host of The Daily Signal Podcast and Problematic Women. Send an email to Virginia.

Kristen Eichamer is an advisor for coalitions communications in the Campaigns and Partnerships Department at The Heritage Foundation.