Hundreds of students gathered at the University of North Carolina to express their support for the country with "USA" chants and patriotic displays at "Flagstock 2024," a concert honoring fraternity brothers who defended the American flag during anti-Israel protests.
It's OK to be patriotic. That's the message that John Rich of Big & Rich wanted to convey to the college students at the University of North Carolina during Flagstock 2024, a music festival he organized to honor the fraternity brothers who prevented the American flag from touching the ground during anti-Israel protests in May.
"My question for you is this: Do you still love America?" Rich asked students during his performance at the local VFW in Chapel Hill on Monday.
UNC-Chapel Hill Students Celebrate Patriotism at "Flagstock" Event
The crowd responded with thunderous chants of "USA! USA! USA!"
Rich's intention was to host a "protest to support patriotism" and encourage students to feel comfortable expressing their love for their country. "We want to make sure students and people in general feel it's OK to be patriotic," said Rich's manager, Marc Oswald, explaining the motivation behind the event's name.
UNC-Chapel Hill Students Celebrate Patriotism at "Flagstock" Event
The music event, which featured performances by Big & Rich, Lee Greenwood, Aaron Lewis, John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting, and Roman Rene Ramirez of Sublime, attracted several hundred Chapel Hill students, though organizers had anticipated a larger turnout of 2,000.
Despite the lower attendance, those who attended enthusiastically displayed their American pride, waving flags and chanting patriotic slogans. Matthew Broderick, a senior journalism major, told Fox News Digital that there were mixed reactions to the event on campus.
UNC-Chapel Hill Students Celebrate Patriotism at "Flagstock" Event
"There's a lot of people who are in huge favor of this. They love this. And then there's a lot of people who think this is a really bad idea," Broderick said. "It's very split."
The event was inspired by an incident in May when campus activists attempted to replace the American flag with a Palestinian flag twice. When protesters tried to remove the flag for the second time, a group of students prevented the Old Glory from touching the ground.
UNC-Chapel Hill Students Celebrate Patriotism at "Flagstock" Event
A student photographer captured the moment, which went viral on social media and sparked national headlines. Similar protests occurred on college campuses across the country.
After the photo gained attention, John Noonan created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for a "rager" for the students. The campaign exceeded expectations, raising over $500,000. Noonan established a 501 C-4 organization called Pints for Patriots to manage the funds and organize the event.
UNC-Chapel Hill Students Celebrate Patriotism at "Flagstock" Event
Rich offered his support by offering to host a concert in the students' honor. The initial plan was for a smaller show at a fraternity house, but the scale expanded as the fundraising efforts grew.
Some of the funds were used to cover various expenses, including the stage, security, transportation, and legal services. Dan Craigg, an attorney working for Pints for Patriots, contributed pro-bono legal work valued at $15,000 to $20,000.
UNC-Chapel Hill Students Celebrate Patriotism at "Flagstock" Event
VFW personnel also volunteered their time to assist with event preparations, while attendees expressed their appreciation for the patriotic spirit. Noonan emphasized the organization's commitment to transparency in using the donated funds.
