French court orders town hall to remove Palestinian flag

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Palestinian, French and European Union flags fly outside the town hall in Vaulx-en-Velin, an eastern suburb of Lyon, France, on July 11, 2026. [Mathieu Prudhomme - Anadolu Agency]https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AA-20260711-41952708-41952707-FRENCH_COURT_ORDERS_REMOVAL_OF_PALESTINIAN_FLAG_FROM_VAULXENVELIN_TOWN_HALL-1.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" width="1200" />
A French court ordered the town hall of Vaulx-en-Velin, a suburb of Lyon, to remove a Palestinian flag flying from its facade, ruling that it breached the principle of neutrality in public services, Anadolu reports.

The Lyon administrative court, ruling in an emergency procedure brought by the Rhone prefect, ordered the flag to be removed without delay and imposed a fine of 100 euros ($117) for each day of non-compliance.

The Palestinian flag was raised on July 4 during a municipal event and displayed alongside the French and European flags.

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