From education to housing protests, Palestine’s flag spreads across Europe

The Palestinian emblem and accepted keffiyeh scarf person been regular appearances astatine caller demonstrations crossed Europe implicit housing, education and the outgo of living.

Palestinian symbols were besides displayed successful Northern Ireland, wherever a decades-old standoff risked reigniting historical grievances.

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Kenny Pierre Agboton, from the Free University of Brussels for Palestine platform, says the usage of the Palestinian emblem successful demonstrations is simply a motion to anti-colonialism and anti-repression struggles.

“From clime alteration to liveable Earth, the Palestinian contented becomes the crossroad for each combat we have, astatine slightest successful Western Europe,” helium told Al Jazeera.

He said that engaging successful a governmental conflict is simply a governmental prime that values acquisition implicit “giving arms to the military”.

A Palestinian emblem is waved during a gathering successful Marseille, France, connected October 26 to honour the victims of a racist onslaught successful Trappes and neighbouring La Verriere and telephone for nationalist unity and solidarity [Denis Thaust/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images]

His relation is successful interaction with like-minded groups astatine different universities successful Belgium and “we usually springiness 1 emblem to each association” during nationwide demonstrations.

Across the border, France is witnessing nationwide rallies that began implicit faults wrong the acquisition system.

High schoolhouse students, backed by assemblage and teacher associations, commercialized unions and immoderate politicians, are demanding much affordable, higher-quality education, upgraded schools, smaller classes and much teachers. And immoderate person done truthful portion carrying the Palestinian emblem oregon wearing the keffiyeh.

Protesters look disconnected with French constabulary during a banned objection organised by French precocious schoolhouse and assemblage students successful Paris arsenic portion of nationwide blockades and protests demanding amended schoolhouse conditions successful France, November 3, 2026 [Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters]

‘Global strategy organising attacks connected our rights’

Alice Cohen-Morzadec, spokesperson for the French Student Union and a regular protester, views the emblem arsenic a awesome of the regular struggles successful the occupied West Bank and Gaza and broader planetary inequalities.

“As young people, precocious schoolhouse oregon assemblage students, we cognize that these demonstrations are not conscionable astir our ain situation; it is astir a planetary strategy that is organising attacks connected our rights,” she said. “It is simply a broader question against satellite capitalism and colonialism system.”

Some politicians enactment utilizing the symbols, too.

Nelson Mandela wore the keffiyeh successful 1990. In 2006, then-Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of the Socialist Workers’ Party concisely wore 1 aft a young Palestinian reportedly placed it astir his neck.

South African anti-apartheid person and African National Congress (ANC) subordinate Nelson Mandela (C), wearing a keffieh, attends a gathering organised successful his honour by the National Union of Algerian Youths, 18 May 1990, successful Algiers [Abdelhak Senna/AFP]

“What’s incorrect with a national taking to the streets with a Palestinian flag?” said Mario Furore, an Italian subordinate of the European Parliament from the Five Star Movement, which belongs to The Left parliamentary group. “Should we truly beryllium outraged by this, erstwhile the Israeli authorities is accused of genocide successful Gaza and continues to massacre Palestinians successful the West Bank? We mustn’t marque the mistake of relativising everything,” helium said.

“Since October 7, 2023, Israeli operations person caused tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, astir 80,000 according to immoderate estimates. This information unsocial should enactment things into perspective.”

But the anti-colonial messaging of the students oregon the realpolitik of immoderate politicians does not resonate successful each state with a protestation movement.

Fatos Lubonja, an activistic and writer who spent 17 years successful situation during Albania’s communist rule, said helium is 1 of the fewer who has carried the Palestinian emblem oregon worn a keffiyeh during anticorruption demonstrations successful his Muslim-majority state implicit the past 4 months.

A Palestinian emblem flies supra tents astatine a protestation campy against the lodging situation successful Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square, Spain, connected September 28, 2026 [Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images]

He said that successful Albania, immoderate spot the Palestinian conflict alongside issues related to Muslims. And Muslims are equated with the Ottoman Empire.

“We were liberated from the Ottomans. The Ottomans were considered arsenic occupiers with whom we lived with a agelong time. The communicative was that we were coming backmost to Europe, returning to our roots,” helium said.

“Being a Muslim for Albanians during communism means you had to beryllium emancipated, that we wanted to beryllium [a] Westerner, portion of NATO. That is wherefore Albanians, adjacent today, are precise pro-American and, of course, being pro-American means you besides person to beryllium pro-Israel,” helium said.

Seeing the Palestinian origin and emblem waved astatine European demonstrations is not to everyone’s liking, particularly since immoderate convulsive protesters person besides brandished Palestinian symbols.

Palestinian writer and researcher Waddah Abu Jamea, penning successful Al Majalla mag successful October, described discomfort watching on.

“Palestinians consequently find themselves expected to condemn the thief portion thanking the pupil oregon world who raises their flag. They ticker arsenic the flag’s archetypal meaning disappears down a cacophony of competing causes and agendas. They spot it enlisted successful struggles implicit identity, immigration, religion and security. At the aforesaid time, their ain story, similar the Palestinians’ corporate nationalist cause, fades into the inheritance amid the increasing politicisation of solidarity,” helium wrote.

“The emblem has crossed borders, but those borders stay closed disconnected to Palestinians. It has entered universities and institutions portion schools successful Gaza person been destroyed, depriving Palestinian children of entree to education. It flies supra demonstrations successful Paris, portion Palestinians successful the West Bank are denied the state to transportation it successful protestation against killing, imprisonment, and siege.”

Some sent blunter messages to the pupil protesters.

Janine di Giovanni, a writer and the caput of The Reckoning Project, which documents warfare crimes, was visiting the West Bank connected October 18 erstwhile she posted astir the French protesters connected her Facebook page.

She said that arsenic she lives successful Paris and has worked successful Palestine for much than 30 years, she understands the basal of the European protests.

“But I americium penning this from the West Bank, wherever I papers what is happening to Palestinian families during the olive harvest,” she wrote. “Every time determination is violence. … So I inquire you, gently: delight don’t nexus your conflict to Palestine.”

“Not due to the fact that yours doesn’t matter, but due to the fact that they are not the same. Palestinians are warring for thing much basic: the close to unrecorded freely and safely connected their ain land. When the 2 are conflated, it blurs what is happening present and gives those who already misunderstand some causes an casual excuse to disregard them, oregon to spot lone violence. Fight for your future. It is worthy warring for. But fto Palestine’s communicative beryllium told connected its ain terms.”