The authorities of the French municipality of Saint-Denis Monday raised the Palestinian flag on the façade of the town hall as a symbolic step in support of France’s official recognition of the State of Palestine Monday evening on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York.
This event comes as the Ministry of the Interior has officially banned municipalities from raising flags, instructing mayors to oppose the practice.
The Palestinian flag adorns the façade of Saint-Denis town hall, located northeast of Paris, alongside the French flag, as an expression of the municipality’s solidarity with the Palestinian people and “support for President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine,” explained Socialist mayor Mathieu Hanotin, Saint-Denis Mayor.
Stéphane Troussel, President of the Departmental Council of Seine-Saint-Denis in France, said: “Flying the flag on municipal buildings is an expression of our solidarity with a people in danger.”
The mayor responded to the call of Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, who urged French municipalities to raise the Palestinian flag Monday (September 22) as a symbolic gesture on the day President Emmanuel Macron announces official recognition of Palestine before the UN.
The Socialist Party’s first secretary wrote in a post on X: “On September 22, when France finally recognises the State of Palestine, let us raise the Palestinian flag above our municipalities.”
Responding to a comment on X noting that September 22 also coincides this year with the Jewish New Year, Olivier Faure wrote: “As long as you believe you cannot celebrate the Jewish New Year and the first year of a Palestinian state at the same time, you will only sow hatred, despair and death.”
For his part, Hanotin reiterated his support for his party leader’s position, declaring: “I would like to stress once again the need, alongside the recognition of the State of Palestine, to put an end as soon as possible to the massacres and the humanitarian crisis currently taking place in Gaza, in flagrant violation of international law and human rights.”
Other municipalities also planned to raise the Palestinian flag. In Nantes (western France), Socialist mayor Johanna Rolland, Mayo of Nantes announced her intention to respond to Olivier Faure’s call, saying: “I think it is logical, and I will do so without hesitation.”
At the same time, the Ministry of Interior requested that mayors oppose this call and refrain from raising Palestinian flags on town halls and other public buildings Monday. A memo issued by the ministry stressed that the principle of neutrality in public service prohibits such acts and the display of flags, calling for administrative measures against mayors who refuse to take down Palestinian flags displayed on municipal buildings.
