(21 Sep 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris – 21 September 2025
1. Various of pro-Palestinian demonstration starting off from Place de la Republic with a union leader and left-leaning political leaders
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Malakoff, near Paris, France – 21 September 2025
2. Various of local town hall with Palestinian flag next to EU Flag and French flags
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris – 21 September 2025
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Jacqueline Belhomme, Mayor of Malakoff:
"In Malakoff, we decided to put them (Palestinian flags) up starting Friday, because we had initiatives for the city, as we do every year for the International Day of Peace with Malakoff, a festival centred around peace. This year, it has a special significance because the recognition of the Palestinian state is going to take place tomorrow by the President of the Republic. We decided to raise the flag on Friday and take it down on Tuesday, simply because we had initiatives in the city. We were informed by the Minister of the Interior of the obligation to remove this flag. We refused, and we had a hearing at the administrative court in 2 hours; we were notified on Saturday at 9 a.m. to appear at 11 a.m."
4. Mid of demonstration
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Jacqueline Belhomme, Mayor of Malakoff:
"We stand with the Palestinian people; it is something symbolically important, just as we did some time ago with the Ukrainian flag when we stood with the Ukrainian people who were under attack by Russia. We raised the Ukrainian flag, and we now raise the Palestinian flag. When it’s Ukraine, it doesn’t pose a problem. When it’s Palestine, it’s questioned."
Reporter: "Will you keep the flag there?"
Belhomme: "We will take it down on Tuesday. That was always the plan."
6. Mid of demonstration
7. SOUNDBITE (French) David Belliard, Deputy Mayor of Paris on Public Space, Transport and Mobility:
"Environmentalists and Communist Party comrades have passed a resolution, a wish repeatedly asking for the Eiffel Tower to be lit up in the colours of Palestine or to go dark in honour of Gaza and the Gazans who are currently suffering martyrdom due to Israeli attacks. For now, we are making slow progress for various reasons, in a way, facing many difficulties. But we will not give up. I believe it is also the honour of Paris, of our values, of the image and message we must send to the world and particularly to Palestinians, to symbolically tell them that we are here in support, that we are thinking of them and that we denounce the catastrophic situation in Gaza and Palestine, and yes, we seek peace, but the war must stop. We must speak out. We stand in support of Gaza and the Palestinians."
8. Various of demonstration
STORYLINE:
More than a thousand people joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Paris on Sunday in support of the recognition of a Palestinian state and an end to the conflict in Gaza.
In French towns, at least one French Mayor has defied government orders and flown Palestinian flags on its town hall with more town halls expected to follow suit as France prepares to formally recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.
The Palestinian flag has been flying at the town hall of Malakoff, a suburb of Paris, since Friday.
Malakoff’s mayor, Jacqueline Belhomme, who was at Sunday’s demonstration, told The Associated Press that she was ordered to take it down but refused to comply.
The war in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict are expected to be at the top of the agenda of world leaders at their annual gathering at the UN General Assembly starting Monday.
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