On Tuesday at the University of North Carolina, approximately twelve fraternity members valiantly defended the American flag against a barrage of insults, gestures, and thrown water bottles. This confrontation arose after pro-Palestinian protesters hoisted the Palestinian flag on the same pole. UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts, flanked by police, intervened to remove it and restored the American flag, which was at half-mast to honor police officers killed in Charlotte the day before. After Roberts departed and protesters made another attempt to lower the American flag, Rosenblum and his fraternity brothers, along with several other students, formed a protective circle around the flagpole, ensuring the flag remained aloft. Rosenblum also displayed an Israeli flag during the standoff.

By the evening, a chain-link fence had been erected encircling the flagpole. A video capturing the fraternity brothers’ actions garnered extensive attention online, drawing hundreds of thousands of views across various platforms. This prompted the creation of a GoFundMe page, humorously titled “Throw ‘em a Rager,” which quickly drew support. By Thursday morning, over 10,000 contributors had raised more than $340,000.

The GoFundMe page organizers playfully described the fraternity members as “Armored in Vineyard Vines and Patagonia, fueled by Zyn and White Claws,” lauding their efforts to safeguard “Old Glory” from what they called the “unwashed Marxist horde.”