A massive American Flag was unveiled over the George Washington University (GWU) pro-Palestine encampment, video shows.
Video footage posted to Twitter shows the moment a massive American flag was flown above a pro-Palestine encampment in the U-Yard section of the school. Three men could be seen on top of one of the school’s buildings to secure the flag as some pro-Palestine protesters could be heard attempting to divert their attention from the flag. A University spokesperson said that the flag was “authorized and hung” by GWU staff, according to the GW Hatchet. (RELATED: ‘USA! USA!’: Patriotic University Students Push Back Against Pro-Palestine Protesters)
📍The George Washington University
3 men have unfurled a massive American flag in the U-Yard
They are met with boos and are called “a**holes” by protesters and organizers of the encampment @BorderHawkNews pic.twitter.com/bZQFKL9WAx
— Wid Lyman (@Wid_Lyman) May 3, 2024
This comes a day after pro-Palestinian protesters were seen taking down the school’s GW flag and replacing it with a Palestinian flag. Video footage caught the moment activists could be heard cheering as they raised the Palestinian flag up on the pole as drums went off in the background. Following the incident, the school released a statement calling out the move from pro-Palestinian protesters as “illegal.”
𝐍𝐄𝐖: Three American patriots have draped an American flag over a building at George Washington University in Washington D.C. in front of the University yard where a pro-Palestinian encampment has been established.
Anti-Israeli protesters booed and yelled curse words at the… pic.twitter.com/OH4jYvIp0u
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) May 3, 2024
“Today, protestors illegally removed a GW flag hanging in University Yard and replaced it with the flag of Palestine, a violation of D.C. law and university policy. GW police officers attempted to prevent the unlawful activity and instructed the protestors hanging the flag to desist. While intervening, the officers were surrounded by a crowd yelling hostile chants and were forced to withdraw to prevent further escalation of a volatile situation. Another flag was subsequently raised underneath the American flag on a nearby pole,” the school stated.
As of now, neither the Palestinian nor the GW flag are being flown on the school’s flag pole.
Protesters on campus have been demonstrating for nine days, joining other schools across the U.S. who have called for universities to divest their funds from companies connected to Israel. Earlier this week students at the University of California, Los Angeles had built an encampment, ending with Los Angeles Police Department officials and California Highway Patrol officers arresting over 200 protesters.
Editorial Note: This article has been updated to reflect the fact that a University spokesperson said that GWU staff authorized and hung the American flag.