French police arrest 6 for displaying Palestinian flag on Eiffel Tower during Nakba protest

French police have arrested six activists for displaying a Palestinian flag on the Eiffel Tower in protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza on the 78th anniversary of Nakba Day.

According to French media reports, members of the environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion displayed the flag from the monument’s first floor in solidarity with Palestinians.

Police arrested the individuals, saying they were detained on suspicion of entering a protected area without authorization and allegedly endangering public safety.

French authorities said prosecutors are expected to receive a formal complaint over the incident, though it remains unclear who will file it.

The arrests sparked criticism among French lawmakers, including Rima Hassan, who pointed to previous political displays at the Eiffel Tower.

In a post on social media, Hassan referred to the decision by former Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to illuminate the Eiffel Tower in the colors of the Israeli flag following Hamas’s operation in the occupied territories in October 2023, noting that no arrests were made at the time.

Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, killing at least 72,742 people and leaving more than two million Palestinians displaced across the besieged strip.

The annual commemoration of the Nakba comes as anger continues to grow around the world over Israel’s ongoing war crimes in Gaza and the humanitarian catastrophe facing Palestinians under the regime’s siege.

Arabic for “catastrophe,” Nakba refers to the forced displacement of more than 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland in 1948 during the creation of Israel.

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