UNC brothers honored for defending American flag against anti-Israel mod: ‘Beacon of hope’

As campus protests erupted across the country earlier this year, a group of fraternities at UNC-Chapel Hill. it captured the nation’s attention for their act of patriotism.

The group was honored at the 6th annual Fox Nation’s Patriot Awards.

UNC students Guillermo Estrada and Alex Jones accepted the “Courage Award” during the Patriot Awards, which honored organizations for raising the American flag as pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to replace the Stars and Stripes with the Palestinian flag.

“We did not hesitate when we saw our flag being lowered because this flag represents the beacon of hope that called my parents to this great country 20 years ago,” said Estrada during the awards ceremony.

“The promise of freedom and prosperity that makes America a light to the world. That’s what that flag stands for.”

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Back in the spring, anti-Israel protesters successfully replaced the American flag on the Chapel Hill quad — which was flying low afterward. four Charlotte police officers were killed at work – with a Palestinian flag before UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts responded with law enforcement officials to return the American flag to its place.

Activists, some of whom were not affiliated with the first state university, tried to take it down a second time but were met with opposition from a group of students.

“When the flag was raised again, the Greek community began to sing the national anthem. As the chancellor left, the quad erupted in chaos as protesters began to remove the flag again, preparing to destroy it,” Estrada said in an X post earlier. this year. “My brother and others ran to lift it, so that it wouldn’t touch the ground. People started throwing water bottles, stones, sticks at us, calling us abusive names. We stood for an hour protecting the flag so many people. fighting to protect it.”

After enduring about an hour of yelling, screaming and things flying, the fraternity brothers raised the fallen American flag until it is restored. A GoFundMe was started to celebrate the organizations involved, raising more than half a million dollars by the time donations closed.

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“Getting the support from people not only in this room, but across the country has been very inspiring and humbling,” Jones said at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts.

“My grandfather is from eastern North Carolina. He’s a little farm boy. And to be up here and, you know, this stage is something he would never have dreamed of in his life for his grandson. And to me, that’s really not just this flag, but this whole nation represents me, that’s why I did that day,” he added.

The protests in Chapel Hill were part of protests at high schools across the country speaking out against Israel and in support of Gaza amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. Activists set up camps on campuses, residential buildings, clashed with law enforcement and refused to be arrested.

Although the war in Gaza remains a divisive issue, Estrada sent a message to Americans who “still question the meaning and importance of the flag.”

“I invite you to sit down with families like mine in Goldsboro, North Carolina, a family like Alex’s, and really listen to what the red, white and blue really means to us,” he said.

UNC students were honored along with other honorees in nine categories, including President-elect Donald Trump.

Other awards include the “T2T Stephen Siller Back the Blue Award,” “Young Patriot,” “Salute to Service,” “FOX Weather Ultimate Patriot,” “Service to Veterans,” “Culture Warrior,” “Bravery” and the tribute “Patriot of the Year.”

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