Following the replacement of the German flag with a Palestinian flag outside the Reichstag building in Berlin, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group is calling for a debate on reintroducing an exclusion zone around the Bundestag.
"Given the increasingly aggressive forms of protest, the question arises as to whether the existing level of protection is still sufficient," CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei (CDU) told the Rheinische Post, according to reports published on Monday. "Wouldn't it be time to consider reintroducing the exclusion zone in light of these escalating developments?" he asked.
Frei added that protests must continue to be possible within sight of the political representatives they are directed at. "But the state must be able to draw clear boundaries where deliberate disruptions and intimidation interfere with the work of parliament and government," the CDU politician said.
He described the removal of the German Unity Flag directly outside the Bundestag as an "insult to our state". Frei said the incident was part of "a series of incidents in which activists and violent troublemakers abuse the fundamental right to demonstrate".
On Sunday, 8 November, a 22-year-old man removed the German flag from its mast at Platz der Republik in front of the Reichstag building and raised a Palestinian flag in its place. Two other men, aged 20 and 32, assisted him from the ground.
Police initially detained all three men. The two alleged supporters were later released after their identities were established and they were ordered to leave the area. The 22-year-old remained in police custody initially.
The Palestinian flag was subsequently removed with the assistance of firefighters. However, the mast's pulley system was damaged, preventing the German flag from being raised again immediately. The 22-year-old is under investigation, among other things, on suspicion of denigrating the state and its symbols. Berlin's State Criminal Police Office is investigating the incident through its State Security Division.
The activist group Peacefully Against Genocide claimed responsibility for the action in an Instagram post on Sunday. The group said it wanted to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians and draw attention to what it describes as genocide in Gaza.
The flag that was taken down is an official national monument commemorating German reunification on 3 October 1990. The 60-square-metre black, red and gold flag normally flies permanently from a 28.5-metre mast made of hot-dip galvanised shipbuilding steel. It was first raised on the night of German reunification.
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