France removes EU flag from Arc de Triomphe after rightwing anger

FrenchFrench authorities have removed the EU flag from the Arc de Triomphe after rightwing opponents of the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, accused him of erasing French identity, reports The Guardian. 

The giant flag was raised in place of the French tricolour on New Year’s Eve to mark France’s turn at the rotating EU presidency, which it will hold for the next six months.

The arch, a monument to war dead, and other landmarks including the Eiffel Tower and the Panthéon, will also be illuminated with blue lights for the rest of the week.

Macron’s rightwing rivals for presidential elections in the spring seized on the removal of the tricolour, calling it an affront to France’s heritage and its veterans.

Read more of this report from The Guardian.