Sides clash as UNC-Chapel Hill protest between pro-Palestine, pro-Israel groups turns heated
Pro-Palestine and pro-Israel groups clashed on campus at UNC-Chapel Hill on Thursday.
Tensions were high over the war between Israel and Hamas as dueling demonstrations led to anger, shouting and in some cases, physical confrontations as the conflict entered its sixth day.
WRAL reporter Chelsea Donovan was in the crowd as the situation grew hostile outside the library.
The protest, branded as a "resistance rally" for Palestine, began peaceful but turned contentious about 20 minutes into the event. Hundreds of people were in attendance, and at noon, things reached a boiling point.
The scene became chaotic as two sides argued back and forth. Some students held signs reading, "Free Palestine," "End the Occupation" and "Colonization is Violence." Other students started to show up in opposition, holding signs that stated "Stand with Israel" and "Rape is not Resistance."
"We are out here to support Palestine and to support the Palestinian resistance," said a student who organized the rally and wished not to be identified.
The flyer for the protest used imagery of a paraglider, which Hamas terrorists utilized in last weekend's attack.
"We are so horrible for showing a paraglider, what about their jets?" said the same student. "Israeli jets have killed thousands of Palestinians, but that's OK?"
The dialogue between the groups was heated at times, and an Israeli professor was pushed down the stairs. The professor had to be escorted away by UNC police officers. The man said he had a drink thrown at him. He was not seriously hurt.
"Once you just watch what was done in recent days and the horror that was done by them that was comparable to ISIS, comparable to Nazis, and that's justified?" said the man, who did not identify himself. "It's sad that there are people here who support that."
The man said he was not violent at any point.
At one point, the opposing groups were fighting over which flag could be flown at the protest.
The pro-Palestinian group of students that organized the rally created a barrier so other students opposed to what they said could not get through.
UNC police increased their presence at the demonstration throughout the protest. No arrests were made. There were no classes from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in observance of 'University Day' to celebrate UNC's 230th anniversary.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced that at least 22 Americans had died in the conflict. The weekend attack by Hamas militants on Israel is being called as the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.
On Thursday evening, a crowd of pro-Israel citizens rallied in downtown Raleigh. Supporters held sheets with prayers for Israeli soldiers. People under age 20 were asked to stay away for safety reasons.
