Monday, September 22, 2025, 21 French town halls hoisted the Palestinian flag on their pediment, despite the ban on the Ministry of the Interior, the day when France must officially recognize the state of Palestine to the UN.
Among the cities concerned are Nantes, Saint-Denis and Stains, as well as other municipalities in the Parisian suburbs such as Nanterre, Bagneux, Gennevilliers, Ivry-sur-Seine or Corbeil-Essonnes. The mayor of Nantes, Johanna Rolland (PS), justified this symbolic gesture on X by declaring that the city “accompanies this historic decision of the French Republic”.
Municipalities on the sidelines of the instructions
In Saint-Denis, the flag was hoisted in the presence of the first secretary of the PS, Olivier Faure, while the mayor Mathieu Hanotin insisted on the temporary nature of the act, intended to mark the day of official recognition. In Stains, the mayor Azzédine Taïbi (PCF) also installed the Palestinian flag, accompanied by that of the UN and Peace.
The Ministry of the Interior recalls that the principle of neutrality of public services imposes the non-sporal of foreign flags, and that the State does not demand or encourage this type of initiative. Some cities, such as Lille, had to withdraw the Palestinian flag at the request of the prefect, while in Malakoff, the flag remains in place despite an injunction of the administrative court.
