Palestinian flag flies across France in protest over Israel's Olympic participation | Politics

Paris- Activists and organizations have decided to raise the Palestinian flag across France in denunciation of what they called the “Paris 2024 Olympic Games of Shame,” after President Emmanuel Macron announced his welcome to Israeli athletes and the organizing committee refused to raise the Palestinian flag during the Olympic torch relay despite the presence of a Palestinian delegation participating in the competitions.

Under the title “Liberation Flag,” this initiative, which is mainly supervised by the White Vests for Gaza and Euro-Palestine, aims to showcase the Palestinian flag as a symbol of resistance against the Israeli occupation and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people.

This morning, Thursday, the flag-bearers' march began from the capital, Paris, towards several French cities. The flag will be handed over hand in different stages and forms, ranging from walking, running, swimming, cycling and train riding.

tee

A massive demonstration was held last night, Wednesday, in the Place de la République in Paris to announce the launch of the “France Liberation Flag Tour” initiative as a sign of solidarity and resistance with the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli oppression and occupation.

In this context, Sebastian Wildman, a member of the “White Vests for Gaza” organization, explained that the flag bearers made a short tour of the capital throughout yesterday, as it was the first stop before leaving today at 6:30 in the morning to begin the tour of all French cities.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Wildman added that activists supporting Palestine will carry the flag on foot, by bicycle and by boat, and that they will arrive in Switzerland to stand in front of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, before returning to Paris again on September 8, coinciding with the first protest that will be organised after the end of the summer vacation.

It is noteworthy that the members of this organization were the first to implement this idea on the ground, and some of its members participated in medical delegations that traveled to the Gaza Strip after October 7, 2023 to work in hospitals and help treat the wounded.

A symbol of resistance and liberation

Participants will pass the Palestinian flag from hand to hand through various physical activities while maintaining the political goal of denunciation and awareness.

Each geographical region (Île-de-France, Allois, North-East, Rhône-Alpes, Brittany, Normandy, etc.) will have its own schedule and specific arrangements.

Iman Maarefi, a French nurse returning from Gaza, said she was participating in the initiative to express her solidarity with the people of Gaza and to emphasize that the Palestinian flag is a sign of resistance against colonial oppression and Israeli occupation, and to unite their voices around the Palestinian cause “because the liberation of Palestine transcends all geographical borders because it is a global issue.”

She spoke to Al Jazeera Net about the restrictions faced by all those who sympathized with the cause, as they were “suppressed and fined during the Olympic Games in Paris for raising the flag, or even for wearing clothes symbolizing resistance, such as a pin in the shape of a watermelon.”

For her part, the head of the Euro-Palestine organization, Olivia Zemmour, confirmed the occurrence of this “unjustified” ban that activists were subjected to during the Olympics.

“France had the right to carry the Olympic torch and organize the Games of Shame while inviting Israel in the midst of genocide, but we were tired of the bans and arrests we faced everywhere during that period in stadiums and during the various matches and competitions in which Israeli teams participated,” she said.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Zemmour encouraged the French people to participate and support the initiative by placing the flag on the windows of homes and welcoming pedestrians, runners and cyclists upon their arrival in cities, “to emphasise the necessity and logic of highlighting the symbol of resistance everywhere.”

Unconditional solidarity

The Palestinian Flag March aims primarily to raise public awareness of the critical situation in Palestine, and in the Gaza Strip in particular, as well as to show solidarity with the Palestinian people after the Israeli delegation was welcomed to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games despite all the protests and controversy that accompanied it.

“I often say that I was honored to be part of the first French mission that was able to return to Gaza between January and February, and the truth is that my heart remained there and will remain Palestinian forever,” says nurse Iman Maarefi, trying to hold back her tears as she recalls the details of what she experienced in Gaza hospitals amidst the war and destruction.

Regarding the reason for her participation in the group of flag bearers in France, Maarefi explained that it was due to her strong desire to immortalize the memory of the caregivers and civilians she met in Gaza who lost their lives, and all her colleagues who are still working, suffering from extreme exhaustion and doing their utmost to help the injured and stay alive.

“I know that we cannot reach a ceasefire through this demonstration, but I hope that it will bring some comfort to the hearts of the Palestinians and let them be certain that our support is steadfast and unconditional until the liberation of Palestine,” Maarefi continued.

In turn, the head of the Euro-Palestine organization believes that the French government believes that people are no longer interested in Palestine, because the local media does not talk about the genocide or massacres in the Gaza Strip.

But the truth, she added, is that people are always reacting and organising protests in all major French cities, and while officials have been silent under the pretext of the Olympic Games, they are now trying to continue to distract attention by focusing on the Paralympics, and this tactic will not work,” she said.