A 22-year-old climbed the German Unity Flag pole outside the Reichstag building in Berlin, threw the German flag to the ground, and raised the ‘PLO’ flag in its place. The incident happened Sunday around 11:30 a.m., on the eve of the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht.
Berlin, Germany. Someone raises the Palestinian flag in front of the Bundestag. Do not underestimate this gesture. It is not just a flag. It is not just a symbol of the war between Israel and Palestine. It is above all a symbol of the Islamic invasion happening today in Europe. https://t.co/yLcVp21EP2
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) November 8, 2026
Israel’s embassy in Germany sharply condemned the act. “Whoever in Berlin hangs the ‘Palestinian’ flag and removes the German flag in its place makes it unequivocally clear that he opposes everything that black-red-gold represents—freedom, democracy and the rule of law,” the embassy said. Kristallnacht took place on the night of November 9-10, 1938. During the anti-Jewish pogrom organized by the Nazi regime, synagogues were burned, Jewish businesses and homes were vandalized, Jews were attacked and murdered, and tens of thousands were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
German Flag Thrown to the Ground
Police who were called to the scene closed off the area and detained the two assistants. The activist remained at the top of the pole, about 30 meters up, for roughly an hour. Around 12:30 p.m., he came down on his own, while firefighters removed the ‘PLO’ flag using a crane.
Unglaubliche Provokation vor dem Deutschen Bundestag! Die deutsche Flagge wird heruntergeholt und durch eine Palästina-Flagge ersetzt. Demonstrationsfreiheit ist ein hohes Gut. Aber wer unsere Staatssymbole missachtet, überschreitet eine Grenze. Respekt vor unserem Land ist keine Einbahnstraße! 🇩🇪
— Prof. Arne Schönbohm – privat – (@ArneSchoenbohm) November 8, 2026
The 22-year-old and one of the assistants were taken into police custody. Police released the third man on the spot after checking his identity and ordering him away from the area. Police said they are considering keeping the climber in preventive detention. The removed flag is not one of the flags displayed inside the parliament building. It’s the “Unity Flag,” which flies at the national monument in Republic Square facing the Reichstag. In Germany, the black-red-gold colors are associated with national unity, freedom, and democracy, and became the symbol of unified Germany in 1990. More than a hundred people gathered at the scene. Some applauded the activist after he came down from the pole. Later, people also applauded the firefighters who removed the ‘PLO’ flag.
The pro-‘Palestinian’ initiative “Peacefully Against Genocide” claimed responsibility for the operation. A spokesman for the group accused Germany of complicity in “genocide in Gaza” due to its support for Israel and arms supply. He even claimed that Germany’s chancellor should be tried. Berlin police’s State Security Unit opened an investigation on suspicion of insulting the state and its symbols, damaging public property, violating the Assembly Act, and trespassing. The investigation against the three individuals is ongoing.
“Symbol of Islamic Invasion”
The incident drew sharp reactions on social media in Germany and beyond. The RadioGenoa account, which has about 1.6 million followers and frequently covers Muslim immigration and what it describes as Islam’s takeover of Europe, warned against treating the act as merely a symbolic protest. “Berlin, Germany. Someone raises the ‘Palestinian’ flag in front of the Bundestag. Do not underestimate this gesture,” the account wrote. “It is not just a flag. It is not just a symbol of the war between Israel and ‘Palestine’. It is above all a symbol of the Islamic invasion happening today in Europe.”
Prof. Arne Schönbohm, president of the Federal Academy of Public Administration in Germany and former president of the Federal Office for Information Security, called the incident “an unbelievable provocation in front of the German Bundestag.”
“Freedom of demonstration is an important value, but whoever disrespects our state symbols crosses a line,” Schönbohm wrote. “Respect for our country is not a one-way street.”
Berlin has fallen….
Was macht d Objektschutz u d Polizei d Bundestags so beruflich?
Das unmittelbar vor d Reichspogromnacht.
Eine Schande für Berlin u ein weithin sichtbarer Beweis für d keimenden Antisemitismus.
#breaking #fahne #bundestag #polizei #bundestag #fckhms
— KaterX (@DerKaterX) November 8, 2026
The German account KaterX linked the act to the sensitive timing, on the eve of the Kristallnacht pogrom anniversary. “Berlin has fallen,” the account wrote. “What exactly are the facility security and Reichstag police doing professionally? This is happening right before the night of the pogrom. It’s a disgrace to Berlin and visible proof of the germinating antisemitism.”