France Arrests Six for Flying Palestinian Flag on Eiffel Tower

French authorities have arrested six individuals suspected of displaying a Palestinian flag on the Eiffel Tower without authorisation.

The large flag was draped from the tower’s first floor on Friday afternoon. The climate activist group Extinction Rebellion France claimed responsibility, stating it was a message of support for Palestinians. The group accused Israel of carrying out massacres in Gaza and committing ecocide crimes, including the uprooting of olive trees on Palestinian land.

The action coincided with Nakba Day, which commemorates the displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948.

In September last year, both Israeli and Palestinian flags, along with peace symbols, were projected onto the Eiffel Tower ahead of France’s recognition of the Palestinian state. In October 2023, following Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel, the tower was illuminated with the Israeli flag.