They’ve been called “patriotic fraternity brothers.”
And on Wednesday night, seven members of UNC-Chapel Hill fraternities appeared at the Republican National Convention carrying American flags and being honored for having “protected our American flag.”
The seven men walked down the front two aisles of Fiserv Forum in front of the 50,000 people attending the convention. Their walk took four of them past the delegates from their home state, as well as those from Ohio, Louisiana, Nebraska and Missouri. Delegates reached out to shake their hands or give them a pat on the back, as Brian Kelley sang “American Spirit” on stage with a choir from Milwaukee’s Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ.
Alex Johnson, one of the fraternity members, took a microphone from his back pocket and explained that when “a mob” of pro-Palestinian protesters tried to remove the American flag from the Chapel Hill campus, the fraternity brothers protected it out of respect.
“Too many people have sacrificed everything for it,” he said. “The least we could do was keep it flying. And tonight we are proud to honor our flag again.”
What happened during the UNC protest
The group was among two dozen individuals or groups described as “everyday Americans” tapped to speak at the four-day convention. The Trump campaign described the speakers as people “who have faced immense hardship and are worse off under the Biden-Harris administration.”
The fraternity members went viral this spring for keeping the American flag that hangs on UNC’s Polk Place from touching the ground after pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to remove it on April 30, a day that saw 36 people charged in connection to a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” that had been set up on the quad for several days.
The protesters’ attempted removal of the flag marked the second time that day they had done so. An earlier attempt was successful, and interim Chancellor Lee Roberts led police in restoring it to the flagpole. Once Roberts left the quad, the pro-Palestinian protesters quickly attempted to remove it again, but a group of counter-protesters — largely made up of the fraternity brothers — held it up before taking it to police.
The day after the hours-long flag stand-off, a GoFundMe online fundraiser appeared in honor of the fraternity members, asking for money to “throw ‘em a rager.”
“Armored in Vineyard Vines and Patagonia, fueled by Zyn and White Claws, these triumphant Brohemians protected Old Glory from the unwashed Marxist horde — laughing at their shrieks and wails and shielding the Stars & Stripes from Soviet missiles,” the original post on the GoFundMe read.
With an original goal of $15,000, the fundraiser eventually garnered more than $500,000. The money is being used to plan and throw “Flagstock 2024,” an invite-only event to be held on Sept. 2 with a performance by John Rich of the country duo Big & Rich.
Leftover funds not used for the party will be donated to charities, possibly including Back the Blue NC, Wounded Warrior Project, Children of Fallen Patriots and Zeta Beta Tau Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, according to the GoFundMe.
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