German court bans Russian flags at WWII anniversary memorials in Berlin

A Berlin court on Monday banned Russian flags and symbols from being displayed around three Soviet memorials in the German capital during World War II commemorations.

The higher administrative court said it agreed with police who feared Russian flags and Saint George ribbons could be interpreted as symbols of support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

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“In the current context, they could be understood as a declaration of sympathy for the war” and “convey a willingness to use violence,” the court said in a statement.

Police had originally prohibited both Ukrainian and Russian flags at the memorials on May 8 and 9, when the end of World War II is commemorated.

They had argued that “respect for these memorials and monuments must be preserved against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.”

But a lower Berlin court on Saturday overturned the ban after challenges from Ukrainian and Russian organizations, citing a “different view on our threat assessment.”

Ukrainian activists welcomed the chance to fly their own flags but raised concerns over the green light for Russian symbols.

Vitsche, an association of young Ukrainians in Germany, said the St George ribbon “has been used since 2014 to justify and glorify the Russian attack against Ukraine.”

Police filed an appeal against the decision on Russian symbols, which was upheld on Monday by the higher court.

The decision to allow Ukrainian flags was unaffected, since police did not appeal against lifting their ban.

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