The gesture comes as France prepares to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General AssemblyMayors across France have flown Palestinian flags in defiance of a government order to take them down, before it joins several other European and Western countries in recognising a Palestinian state.France’s Ministry of the Interior, as of Monday morning, said 21 town halls had raised the Palestinian flag, according to its own count, despite Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who belongs to the right-wing Republicans party, telling municipal governments to observe “neutrality”. Many more municipal governments were expected to join those who chose to hoist the flag.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe mayors were responding to a call by the leader of France’s Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, who condemned what he called Retailleau’s “insane indecency”, calling on the outgoing interior minister, who resigned this week, to step aside.“I regret that the minister found nothing better to do than to seek to condemn mayors who are doing their duty of solidarity,” Faure said. “How can we today say that this is a reprehensible act when we do not condemn what is happening in Gaza?” he added.
En ce jour historique, j’étais présent ce matin aux côtés du maire @MathieuHanotin et @faureolivier à #SaintDenis pour hisser le drapeau Palestinien au fronton de la mairie.#Palestine #ONU pic.twitter.com/4Nimsz1NGZ
— Stephane Peu (@stephane1peu) September 22, 2025[Translation: On this historic day, I was present this morning alongside the mayor @MathieuHanotin and @faureolivier in #SaintDenis to raise the Palestinian flag in front of the town hall.] Advertisement The communist mayor of the Parisian suburb of Malakoff, Jacqueline Belhomme, hoisted the Palestinian flag on Friday, refusing a police request to remove it and describing the removal order as …
