Germany: Berlin Police bans Ukrainian flags, symbols during World War II commemoration

Germany on Friday banned Ukrainian flags from being unfurled near the city’s memorials as the country commemorated the 77th anniversary of World War II. In a statement on Friday, the Berlin police stated, “The act of remembering as well as the respect for memorials and monuments must be preserved against the background of Russia’s current war of aggression in Ukraine.” It added, “The war must not be allowed to spill over into conflicts or disputes in Berlin beyond the democratic discourse.” Berlin cops discouraged people from disrespecting the war memorials by either installing or tugging the Ukrainian or Russian flags on the WWII memorials. 

Ukrainian activists planned to hold rally in Berlin and commemorate the victims of World War II which killed millions of Ukrainians. Berlin authorities banned the Ukrainian symbols and enlisted them same as the Russian imperialist symbols, including Z which demonstrates the support for Russian aggression.  Germany has long been heavily criticized for its stance since Russia started its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24.

Germany’s police removes Ukrainian flags from two Russian tanks

In the footage that emerged, Germany’s police was seen removing the Ukrainian flags from at least two Russian tanks at the Soviet Memorial in the German capital Berlin. The memorials were erected throughout Berlin to commemorate Soviet’s fallen soldiers during WWII. A 12-meter-tall Soviet War Memorial in the eastern borough of Treptow demonstrated a Soviet soldier shattering the swastika with his sword symbolic of defeating the Nazi troops. Many such monuments became a popular concentration point and people draped yellow and blue ensigns on the statues. 

Ukrainians wrapped the flag on the T-34 tanks in defiance of Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine. Berlin police, however, informed, that there were no damages caused by these independent incidences. And hence, no action will be taken, the police’s statement read. Russian tanks at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin’s Tiergarten that served as a reminder of the defeat of the Nazi forces were also cordoned off by the Berlin police to deter the demonstrators from installing flags. On April 16, 1945, the Red Army launched an offensive and took control of the German capital. Two weeks later, Adolf Hitler committed suicide. 

The Soviet troops had raised the red flag above the Reichstag after the German troops had surrendered. Soviet lost 27 million citizens in WWII, of those  14 million were Russians. Ukrainians and Germans, though, expressed angst at Moscow’s brutal war and unfurled the Ukrainian flags at the memorials in defiance of Russia. Several such Soviet statues have already been torn down in Ukraine. Communist Party of Greece had condemned monuments and memorials “glorifying totalitarian regimes” across Europe, particularly those dedicated to the Red Army.