An activist climbed a nearly 30-meter flagpole in Berlin, removed the country’s national banner, and threw it to the ground
An anti-Israel activist has hoisted a Palestinian banner outside Germany’s parliament building, the Reichstag, in Berlin after climbing a nearly 30-meter flagpole, removing the national flag and throwing it to the ground.
The 22-year-old man scaled the pole while two accomplices, aged 20 and 32, filmed the stunt and livestreamed it on TikTok. All three were detained, although the two accomplices were subsequently released.
The activist group Peacefully Against Genocide claimed responsibility, describing the action as an expression of solidarity with Palestinians. The group has previously staged similar demonstrations at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
German police arrested three people in Berlin today after a man scaled the 30-metre flagpole outside the Reichstag, took down the German “Flag of Unity” and hoisted a Palestinian flag. Two accomplices filmed the climb. All three are suspected of insulting state symbols.
Authorities removed the Palestinian flag using fire service equipment.
The Palestinian flag flew for about an hour before firefighters removed it. The original banner, known as the Flag of Unity, could not immediately be raised again because the flagpole’s hoisting mechanism had been damaged, according to police. The authorities are investigating suspected property damage, trespassing, violations of assembly laws, and insulting state symbols.
Germany has faced mounting criticism over its military support for Israel during the Gaza conflict. Berlin imposed partial restrictions on weapons exports in August 2025 but lifted them three months later. Between November 2025 and March 2026, the government authorized another €167 million (about $193 million) in military exports to Israel, according to official figures.
A similar display took place in June 2024, when activists unfurled a large Palestinian banner on the facade of Milan’s iconic Duomo cathedral, drawing applause from people gathered in the square below.
The Reichstag incident coincided with a major pro-Palestinian demonstration in Amsterdam on Sunday, where tens of thousands of people demanded an end to violence in Gaza and urged the Dutch government to reconsider its economic and military ties with Israel.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive following a Hamas-led attack in October 2023 that killed around 1,200. Some 250 people were taken hostage. More than 75,000 Palestinians have since been killed across the Palestinian territories, including at least 21,500 children, according to a UN Commission of Inquiry.
In a report released on October 26, the commission concluded that Israel had continued committing “genocidal acts” in Gaza despite the October 2025 ceasefire, with Israeli attacks killing another 1,431 Palestinians by September 30. It also accused Israel of crimes against humanity in the West Bank. Israel has rejected allegations of genocide, maintaining that its military operations target Hamas.
In October, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were preparing for a possible war with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, where Palestinians have faced repeated attacks by Israeli settlers.
