A University of North Carolina fraternity brother who was seen guarding the American flag against pro-Palestinian protesters says he would have protected it with his life.
A few dozen members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity took it upon themselves to protect the flag Tuesday at UNC Chapel Hill, where protesters at one point replaced it with the Palestinian flag.
Dan Stompel, a political science student at the school, told Fox News that he and other fraternity brothers waved the flag for more than an hour until police arrived to evacuate the hundreds of demonstrators.
The junior said, “I was like, ‘I would die for this flag. »And everyone was like, “Yeah.” If they get closer, we’ll start holding hands. We’re not going anywhere, I don’t care. They’re going to have to tear this flag off my body.
Stompel claimed that while he was protecting the flag, protesters tried to intimidate them and began throwing objects at them.
One of the University of North Carolina fraternity brothers who was seen protecting the American flag from pro-Palestinian protesters says he would have protected it with his life
Dan Stompel, a political science major at the school, told Fox News that he and other fraternity brothers waved the flag for more than an hour until police arrived to clear out the protesters.
“We are looking in all directions. If objects arrived, we would say, “Be careful.” We covered for each other. We would watch out for others…
“And it hurt our arms. It was like an “arm day” (workout) for me that day. There was no gym that day. It was tiring. It was a beautiful moment.
The student added: “It shows that, … according to the people there, nice, normal, strong boys protecting the American flag.” There is nothing more patriotic, nothing more authentic, nothing more inspiring than that.
After images of the fraternity brothers went viral, a GoFundMe was created to throw them a party. As of Thursday morning, it had raised more than $330,123, with billionaire Bill Ackman donating $10,000.
“These boys… no, men, from UNC Chapel Hill Pi Kappa Phi, gave the best to America and now they deserve the best,” the GoFundMe read.
“Help us raise funds to give this fraternity the party it deserves, a party worthy of the boat-shoe Broleteriat who made his country proud.”
Guillermo Estrada, another of the young men seen protecting the flag, said the day had been “sad but empowering” and that he became upset after seeing the Palestinian flag raised on campus.
After images of the fraternity brothers went viral, a GoFundMe was created to throw them a party
Footage emerged on social media showing the group of male students holding the Stars and Stripes during a protest on Tuesday.
Pro-Palestinian groups threw water bottles at the group holding the flag as masked protesters shouted at them.
He wrote: “I can’t say I’m fully informed about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it upsets 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 again. They were greeted with insults, middle fingers, thrown bottles, stones and water.
“When the flag was raised again, the Greek community began singing the national anthem. When the chancellor left, chaos erupted in the quadrangle as protesters began removing the flag again, preparing to destroy it.
“My fraternity brother and others ran to support him so he didn’t hit the ground. People started throwing water bottles, stones, sticks at us, insulting us. We stood for an hour defending the flag, so many people are fighting to protect it.
“My parents started a new life in the United States, a country that helped them thrive and raise two children. I grew up in a military community and saw firsthand the sacrifices they make. I will not tolerate the disrespect these “protesters” provoke in the name of another country.
“My LDOC will be memorable knowing that my fraternity brothers and others fought to keep the flag high. But it was also memorable to know that so many people aspire to disrespect him.
Despite the group’s best efforts, protesters ultimately succeeded in raising the Palestinian flag on the Chapel Hill campus.
Another fraternity member, Alex Jones, said on X: “For me, protecting the flag was not about taking a stand in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian discourse.
“I recognize the pain and suffering experienced by both parties in this conflict. But my decision yesterday to protect the United States flag did not concern any other nation. It was simply about the importance of our country and the values we believe in.
“I believe in the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest. I am honored to give back to the nation that has provided me and my family with countless opportunities.
“I owe everything to the hard work of my parents and this great nation, and I am proud to be among those who defended it yesterday. I am proud to be American.
Despite the overwhelming support they received, some pointed to a video that showed some fraternity members appearing to call a female protester a whore as they asked her to “lose weight.”
Despite the overwhelming support they received, some pointed to a video that showed some fraternity members appearing to call a female protester a whore as they asked her to “lose weight.”
Following the chaos on the Chapel Hill campus, classes were canceled for the remainder of the day and non-mandatory operations were suspended.
Police intervened to evacuate a camp and arrested some demonstrators during a tense confrontation.
The Daily Tar Heel reported that 36 protesters were arrested at the camp.
Six of those 36 people were then arrested and transported to the local magistrate’s office, the media outlet said, with all six charged with trespassing before being released. The university said three of those arrested were students, while the other three were not affiliated with the school.
In a statement, Roberts said, “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 opinions.
“We have made it clear that students and community members can come together and make their voices heard, but University policies must be respected.
“During the events of recent weeks, student protesters have respected our policies.
“That changed Sunday evening when protesters – including outside activists – reversed their commitment to these policies, including entering classrooms at night.
“This group has now made it clear that it will no longer even consider our requests to comply with University policies and has shut down our attempts at constructive dialogue.”
Similarly, the New York Police Department restored the American flag after protesters at City College of New York raised a Palestinian flag on campus.
Ground footage shows an officer tossing the flag aside before hoisting Old Glory up the flagpole.
Speaking at a news conference Wednesday morning, Mayor Eric Adams chastised schools for allowing the flag to be displayed.
He said: “It’s our flag, folks, it might suit some people but not me.” My uncle died defending this country.
“It is despicable that schools allow another country’s flag to be flown in our country. So blame me for being proud to be an American. We are not giving up our way of life.
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