Hezbollah Flag at US College Protest Sparks Fury

The flag of Hezbollah, designated a terrorist group by the U.S. government, has sparked fury across social media after it was displayed at a pro-Palestinian protest at Princeton University this week.

On Thursday, Myles McKnight, a former Princeton student, shared a photo on X, formerly Twitter, showing demonstrators with the banner of the Shi'ite armed militia and political movement based in southern Lebanon. "At @Princeton, Hezbollah flags," the post said.

The Hezbollah movement has long been aligned with Iran, and a key part of the informal "Axis of Resistance" grouping fighting against Israel and the U.S. across the Middle East. The group has been involved in constant cross-border skirmishes with Israeli forces since Hamas' October 7 infiltration attack and the subsequent offensive by Israel into the Gaza Strip.

According to the Daily Princetonian, the independent student-run newspaper at the university, organizers of the protest at the college said that they asked the flag to be put away immediately after recognizing it.

Newsweek reached out to Princeton via email for comment.

The post comes amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests at a number of different colleges across the U.S., with organizers calling for schools to condemn Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.

Tensions across university campuses have been high over the past six months as Israel continues its war in Gaza, which began after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7 that left 1,200 people dead and saw more than 200 taken hostage. More than 34,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since the war began, the Associated Press reported, citing local health officials.

Students at Columbia University set up a "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" to demand that the Columbia administration divest from companies affiliated with Israel. A similar protest broke out at Princeton University this week in New Jersey.

A number of social media users responded to the Hezbollah flag.

"How stupid should they be to call themselves 'peace activists', while sitting next to the flag of Hezbollah terrorist organization. I bet they think the AK-47 rifle on the flag is a guitar," Dr. Eli David wrote on X.

X user Nedal Al-Amari said, "The terrorist Hezbollah flag has been raised in American universities. Hezbollah terrorists have killed thousands of Syrians and displaced entire cities, some foolish students support this terrorist organization similar to ISIS. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization in several countries around the world, including the United States. Therefore, every student who raises the terrorist Hezbollah flag on university campuses should be expelled."

Apart from the U.S., other western countries designating Hezbollah a terrorist organisation include the U.K., Canada, Australia and Germany, as well as U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states including Saudi Arabia. The European Union classifies Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist group, but not its political wing, although not all individual states agree.

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz responded to the photos saying "disgraceful."

X user @moesahily said, "I support pro-Palestine protests on American campuses, but raising Hezbollah's flag is disgusting and insulting to thousands of Lebanese and Syrians who are fighting for political emancipation. Hezbollah will never be a liberation movement."

On Thursday, CBS Philadelphia reported that a spokesperson for Princeton confirmed that several pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on campus after attempting to erect a "Gaza Solidarity Encampment."

"A small number began erecting about a half-dozen tents, which is a violation of University policy," the spokesperson told CBS Philadelphia.