The University of Pennsylvania tried to force patriotic students to remove American flags that were planted in response to the school’s pro-Hamas encampments, according to a submission to Young America’s Foundation’s Campus Bias Tip Line.
Instead of backing down, these bold Penn students are doubling down!
In a video posted to X by Eyal Yakoby, a campus police officer is seen telling Yakoby and others in his group that they are “not allowed to stick things in the ground.”
The students pointed to the dozens of tents staked into the lawn as part of UPenn’s pro-Hamas encampment that’s been going on for weeks, and asked why they’re allowed to do what they’re doing.
If potential damage to the campus lawn is what the school is so concerned about, it should definitely deal with the actual problem first. That argument was enough to get the police to go away, and the flags were allowed to remain.
For every American flag taken down, we'll raise two more. @penn students are joining Flags Everywhere movement. @penn tried to stop us (watch the video for proof), claiming we're "not allowed to stick things in the ground," yet the nearby tents remain. https://t.co/LmJNdaOdjP pic.twitter.com/9cysEPsUNL
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) May 8, 2024
“For every American flag taken down, we’ll raise two more,” Yakonby wrote in the caption of his video.
He and others have started an effort to provide American flags to any student willing to put them up on their own campus grounds.
On their GoFundMe page, the students wrote, “Across the country, we’ve seen people ripping down the American flag on college campuses—a behavior Americans will not tolerate. Help us promote unity and patriotism by surrounding anti-American protests with American flags.”
So far, they have raised more than $3,500 to support the project.
Young America’s Foundation is currently working with the students to expand their initiative by connecting them with Young Americans for Freedom chapters throughout the nation.
