A picture of smiling college students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is going viral.
On Tuesday, pro-Palestinian protesters took down the American flag on the campus and replaced it with a Palestinian flag.
And amid the fight over keeping American flag flying, one image has gotten a lot of attention online.
One user shared a picture of college students gathered around the flag poll, holding up the American flag, and wrote on X, “One of the best photos of 2024 so far: Fraternity brothers are pelted by anti-Israel protesters at UNC Chapel Hill while protecting the United States flag as it is re-hoisted following its removal by protesters. Well done.”
It quickly went viral with users on X expressing support for those featured in the picture:
https://twitter.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1785487305152557548
https://twitter.com/bonchieredstate/status/1785499523231412511
The incident came amid an hours-long duel of the American flag being re-hoisted and replaced by the Palestinian one.
Eventually, Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts and police walked to the flag poll.
The News & Observer reports, “As police prepared to leave from Gerrard Hall to march onto the quad, one officer asked if the others remembered which team they were on. Roberts, the interim chancellor, responded: ‘USA.’ Some students cheered as the American flag was being raised, and sang the national anthem once it was up.
“Roberts, speaking to reporters after the American flag had been reattached, said the university belongs to the people of North Carolina, not a ‘small minority’ of protesters. The American flag would remain hanging as long as he remains chancellor, he vowed,” it added.
According to the outlet, “Around 6:30 p.m., Nate Knuffman, UNC Chief Financial Officer, and Fred Sellers, UNC System Vice President for Safety and Emergency Operations, joined facility services staff in returning the university’s U.S. flag to the pole.”