Protesters with the UNC-Chapel Hill chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine took down the American flag from a large flagpole in Polk Place and replaced it with a Palestinian Flag.
WE AT CHAPEL HILL HAVE TAKEN OFF THE AMERICAN FLAG FROM THE CENTER OF POLK PLACE AND REPLACED IT WITH A PALESTINIAN FLAG 🇵🇸❤️🇵🇸❤️ pic.twitter.com/UB0uY5ghH8
— UNC SJP (@UNC_SJP) April 30, 2024
Counter-protesters tried to re-raise American flag while some students chanted, "USA, USA" and then sang the National Anthem. Later, they carried the flag away from Polk Place.
About 15 individuals have carried the American flag off of Polk Place. As they walked out, pro-Palestinian protesters shouted “Shame.” pic.twitter.com/izPluN6ms3
— The Daily Tar Heel (@dailytarheel) April 30, 2024
Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts addressed media from the steps of nearby university building and said that as long as he was chancellor, the United States flag would remain in place.
"That flag represents all of us. To take down that flag, and put up another flag no matter what other flag it is, that's antithetical to who we are, what this university stands for, and what we have done for 229 years," he said. "That flag will stand here as long as I'm chancellor."
He added that the university would protect students.
"Tell the students that we are going to keep them safe from a very small minority of students who want to disrupt their experience," he said. "This university is for everybody."
Just before 6 p.m. the protesters shared on social media that they were not planning to return to Polk Place, noting the heavy police presence in the area.
Earlier Tuesday, police detained 36 protesters beginning at 6 a.m for "failing to abide by today's order to disperse from Polk Place," according to a statement from UNC-Chapel Hill. Thirty, including 13 students and 17 people non-affiliated with the university, were cited for trespassing. The remaining six, which included three students, were arrested and taken to the Orange County Magistrates Office. They were later released on a written promise to appear.
The group has called for the university to divest itself and the university endowment from any investments that benefit Israel.
Protesters set up an encampment over the weekend, following similar encampment protests at universities around the nation. University officials told the protesters, which include students from neighboring universities as well, they were in violation of university policy.
The protesters took down the encampment at first, but then set back up on Sunday. University officials again told them they were in violation of campus policy and faced possible arrests.
At about 5:30 a.m., university administrators circulated a statement from Interim Chancellor Roberts and Provost Clemens which told protesters to remove all tents and disperse by 6 a.m. or face arrests. The statement also threatened students with expulsion "which may prevent students from graduating."
The statement goes on to say that "we respect and support the rights of peaceful protesters" and that in recent days, student demonstrators had been abiding by university policies.
"That changed Sunday evening when protesters – including outside activists – backtracked on their commitment to comply with these policies, including trespassing into classroom buildings overnight. This group has now made it clear they will no longer even consider our requests to abide by University policies and have ended our attempts at constructive dialogue."
Arrestees were taken to Gerrard Hall for processing. By Tuesday late morning, UNC-SJP announced on Instagram that all arrested students and community members had been released. By noon, the encampment had been cleaned up and Polk Place was encircled in a fence.