The vicinity of the German Parliament building (Bundestag) in the capital, Berlin, witnessed, on Sunday morning (November 8, 2026), an incident that caught the attention of the authorities, after a man lowered the German flag and raised the Palestinian flag in its place, while two other men filmed the operation and broadcast it live on the TikTok platform. The police temporarily arrested the three men.
According to what was reported by the German newspaper "Tagesspiegel", citing the police, a 22-year-old young man climbed the flagpole in front of the Parliament building at approximately 11:15 am, before removing the German flag, known for its black, red and gold colors, and raising the Palestinian flag in its place. He was accompanied by two men, aged 20 and 32, who filmed the incident and broadcast it live over the Internet. While climbing the pole, the young man expressed his support for the Palestinians, according to police spokesman Martin Hallvig.
The young man remained on the mast for about an hour and 15 minutes, which required the intervention of fire brigades who arrived at the scene and attempted to use a crane to lower the young man. But he eventually decided to come down alone around 12:30 p.m., before the Palestinian flag was removed shortly thereafter.
The police spokeswoman confirmed that the three men hold German citizenship. The man who climbed the pole will be referred to the police's State Security Service, which is responsible for politically motivated crimes.
The incident acquires special sensitivity given the symbolism of the place and the flagpole on which the flag was raised. The flagpole, along with what is known as the “Unification Flag”, is subject to archaeological protection. This flag dates back to the anniversary of German reunification, as it has been considered a national landmark symbolizing German unity since 1990.
The police opened an investigation into the three men on suspicion of insulting the state and its symbols, damaging property, and violating the sanctity of the place. The authorities are also treating the incident as an unannounced gathering, and are examining the possibility of violating the freedom of assembly law, as well as suspicion of violating the sanctity of a private place.
In a statement to the Tagesspiegel newspaper, police spokesman Martin Hallweg explained that the German flag was not immediately returned to its place, given that the responsibility for this falls on the German Parliament Police. He added that the arrest of the three men was aimed at verifying their identities.
Subsequently, the two young men, aged 20 and 22, were detained by the police, while the 32-year-old man was released after his identity was verified. The newspaper "Berliner Morgenpost" reported that the police later released the 20-year-old young man, after completing the procedures for verifying his identity and taking his fingerprints, while asking him to leave the place and not return to it.
The German news agency "DPA" reported that earlier today, Sunday, the "Peacefully Against Genocide" group claimed responsibility for the incident, confirming in a statement published online that its action comes within the framework of what it described as "civil society's solidarity with the Palestinian people."
