UNC campus moved to Condition 2 shortly after 3 p.m. on Tuesday, suspending all non-mandatory operations and cancelling all remaining classes as a rally of pro-Palestine demonstrators developed into a broader struggle with campus police over the flagpole at Polk Place.

Footage from the central open space on the Chapel Hill campus showed university police retaliating against community members who removed the United States flag around 2 p.m. and replaced it with a Palestinian flag. The group had marched over to the area — which had been the site of an encampment established by the UNC Students for Justice in Palestine chapter in the days prior — and removed temporary barricades put up by police after law enforcement arrested demonstrators Tuesday morning. While UNC Police officers and Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts came out of South Building and raised a replacement U.S. flag, members of the pro-Palestinian group removed the American flag a second time. During the police response, officers used pepper spray on the crowd.

Reports from campus said after the United States flag was removed for a second time, the crowd began to disperse.

The incident happened around two hours after a rally organized by UNC Students for Justice in Palestine began a few yards away at the steps of South Building — where demonstrators criticized the university for arresting colleagues earlier on Tuesday and inaction regarding their requests for UNC to divest from any contracts with companies who have ties with Israel. Until its movement to the flagpole, the gathering was peaceful and consisted of speakers using megaphones to talk with participants and lead chants.

At 5:44 p.m., UNC SJP shared their organization would not be returning to Polk Place for another encampment and further demonstration on Tuesday night. UNC Facilities and Services employees and university administrators restored a U.S. flag to the flagpole by 6:30 p.m., with counter-protestors and onlooking students stepping in as well.

A group of UNC students try to prevent the United States flag from touching the ground after it was removed by pro-Palestine demonstrators on April 30. Another student holds an Israeli flag in counter-protest to the demonstration. (Photo via Tyler Hanke.)

Condition 2 is reserved for when “safety risks or logistical challenges are severe, and there is substantial interest in having a relatively limited number of individuals travel to or remain on campus,” according to the university system’s Adverse Weather & Emergency Closing guidelines. It asks all non-mandatory employees to not report to work and leave campus immediately.

Tuesday marked the last day of class at UNC for the academic year. UNC said in its Alert Carolina message the Condition 2 status was slated to last until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday.

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