Cops Surrounded A Flagpole At UNC And Removed The Hamas Flag And Replaced With The American One

Things got wild at UNC when cops surrounded a flagpole and removed the Hamas flag and replaced with the American one. Following a scheduled vigil for Palestine, a crowd of protesters knocked over barricades and removed the American flag from the UNC flagpole in Polk Place. After protesters raising the Palestinian flag, police forcefully entered the crowd of several hundred people, ultimately using pepper spray to disperse them. Protesters then surrounded the flagpole in the center of Polk Place, removing the American flag and stringing up the Palestinian flag, while chanting “Free free Palestine.” Police observed the action near Hanes Hall. Demonstrators remained surrounding the flagpole until about 15 police officers, one of which was carrying a folded American flag, emerged from the other end of the Quad. The officers were led by Roberts and UNC Police Chief Brian James.

They made their way to the center of the group, pushing over any remaining pieces of the barricade. One of the barricades that was knocked over fell onto a protester who uses a wheelchair, trapping her underneath until students could lift it up. Student and community demonstrators, many of whom were masked, were forced to the outer edges of the cluster by law enforcement. Protesters immediately pushed against police, in an effort to get back to the center. Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts grasps the USA flag as it is put back up at Polk Place while he is surrounded by UNC police and protesters on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Students and faculty members stumbled out of the center in waves as demonstrators from the outside of the crowd led chants, linking arms. Protesters also threw water and empty plastic water bottles at officers inside of the circle.

At 2:45 p.m., police began pepper spraying the immediate crowd as they lifted the American flag. Students and community members cried and coughed as they moved away from Roberts and the officers. The 15 police officers stood in the center of Polk Place, with about three feet of space between them and protesters. Approximately twenty counter-protesters with Israeli and American flags, began chanting “USA, USA” toward protesters near the flagpole, clapping for Roberts. At 3 p.m., Roberts and police officers walked from the flagpole back to South Building. Roberts shook the hands of students and community members in his path and stopped on the steps of the building to speak on the situation.