French authorities have arrested six people accused of hanging a Palestinian flag from the Eiffel Tower without permission.
According to a police source, the arrests followed Friday’s action by climate activist group Extinction Rebellion France, which claimed responsibility for draping the large Palestinian flag from the monument’s first floor.
The group said the protest was intended as a “message of support” for Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Activists accused Israel of carrying out “massacres” in Gaza and committing environmental destruction, including the uprooting of olive trees on Palestinian land.
The demonstration coincided with Nakba Day, the annual commemoration marking the displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948.
The Eiffel Tower has previously been used as a symbol during the conflict. In September, projections of the Israeli and Palestinian flags, alongside peace symbols such as a dove and olive branch, were displayed on the landmark ahead of France’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
Following the October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag in solidarity with victims of the attack.
The war in Gaza has continued despite a ceasefire announced in October. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 72,700 people, mostly civilians, have been killed during Israeli military operations in the territory.
Both Israel and Hamas continue to accuse each other of violating the truce as daily violence and air strikes persist.
