Six people have been arrested in France after a Palestinian flag was reportedly flown on the Eiffel Tower without authorisation, according to a police source on Saturday.
Climate activist group, Extinction Rebellion France, said it was behind the action, stating that members hung a large Palestinian flag from the first floor of the landmark on Friday.
The group said the display was intended as a “message of support” for Palestinians, while accusing Israel of carrying out “massacres” in Gaza and describing actions in the territory as “ecocide crimes,” including the destruction of olive trees.
The Eiffel Tower has previously been used for symbolic projections related to the conflict, including in September when images of Israeli and Palestinian flags, along with peace symbols, were displayed ahead of France’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
The incident comes amid the ongoing war in Gaza, where health authorities report more than 72,700 deaths since the escalation, most of them civilians. Although a ceasefire was declared in October, fighting and accusations of violations between Israeli forces and Hamas continue to be reported, leaving the situation on the ground unstable.
