Media reports Berlin to prohibit Russian flags on Victory Day

(MENAFN) Berlin authorities are preparing to ban the display of Russian flags and symbols at key Soviet memorials during Victory Day commemorations on May 8 and 9, according to reports from Berliner Morgenpost. The prohibition will apply to memorials in Treptow, Mitte, and Pankow.

Victory Day, which marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe, is celebrated on May 9 in Russia and several post-Soviet states. In Western countries, the day is observed on May 8 as Victory in Europe (VE) Day. To prevent violence and propaganda, Berlin's police will issue an order prohibiting the display of Russian banners and flags during the commemorations.

The new restrictions are in line with those imposed last year, which banned Soviet, Russian, and Belarusian flags, along with wartime songs and elements of military uniforms, including the St. George’s ribbon. The Russian Embassy in Berlin criticized the ban, calling it discriminatory and harmful to historical reconciliation.

In 2023, a German court partially lifted some restrictions after activists challenged them, but police later reinstated the bans.

In related news, Brandenburg officials are reportedly planning to expel Russian Ambassador Sergey Nechayev from a ceremony marking Nazi Germany's defeat. Despite these threats, Nechayev has expressed his intention to honor Soviet soldiers. The move was condemned by Russian officials, including Maria Zakharova, who accused the organizers of “Russophobia,” while Zina Schonbrunn, a regional parliament member, called the exclusion “absurd.”

Recently, Nechayev and diplomats from former Soviet republics laid wreaths at a Soviet cemetery in Potsdam, where they were not impeded. Nechayev emphasized that many Germans continue to honor the Red Army’s role in liberating Europe from Nazism.

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