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Defiant French mayors keep Palestinian flags flying

As France prepares to recognise Palestine at the UN, town halls across the country are caught up in a row over whether or not to raise the Palestinian flag in solidarity.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

A number of French mayors are sticking to their plan to hoist the Palestinian flag above their town halls this week, as France edges closer to officially recognising the new state this Monday, reports RFI.

Their decision comes in spite of stern warnings from the Interior Ministry and early rulings from administrative courts.

In Malakoff, just south of Paris, Communist mayor Jacqueline Belhomme has said the flag will stay put “until Tuesday” – despite an order from the local administrative court to take it down after a complaint from the Hauts-de-Seine department's police prefecture.

The police prefect has already gone back to court, this time seeking a financial penalty.

The black, white, red and green banner is also expected to fly over other town halls in the Paris suburbs, including Nanterre, Bagneux, Gennevilliers, Ivry-sur-Seine and Corbeil-Essonnes.

Read more of this report from RFI.