Berlin: Pro-Palestinian activist replaces German flag

A pro-Palestinian activist climbed a flagpole outside Berlin’s Reichstag on Sunday and replaced the German flag with a Palestinian flag, prompting a police and fire service response. Three men were detained following the incident.

Using climbing gear, the activist scaled the nearly 30-meter pole in Platz der Republik, in front of the building that houses Germany’s federal parliament, the Bundestag. He removed the 60-square-meter German flag and threw it to the ground before raising a Palestinian flag. Two other men remained below and filmed the incident.

Police were alerted at around 11:15 am and responded alongside firefighters. The activist descended at approximately 12:30 pm, and the Palestinian flag was removed using a large ladder.

The site holds particular national significance. Known as the “Flag of Unity,” the German flag flown outside the Reichstag commemorates the country’s reunification on October 3, 1990, and is one of its most recognizable national symbols.

The activist said he had acted in solidarity with Palestine. Authorities opened an investigation into suspected offenses involving the state and its symbols, property damage, and breaches of laws governing public gatherings.

Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, condemned the act, saying that replacing the German flag with a Palestinian flag amounted to rejecting the values represented by Germany’s national colors: freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.