Thousands sign petition to remove Palestine flag flying over Renfrewshire Council's buildings

A petition calling on Renfrewshire Council to take down the Palestinian flag from public buildings has garnered more than 2,000 signatures.

The protest, launched by Marc-André Schmitz, calls on the local authority to “show tact, understanding and sensitivity towards the diverse perspectives within our community”.

But those who campaigned to have the flag flown have urged people to remember that “Hamas does not own the Palestinian flag”.

Councillors voted to fly the flag from Renfrewshire House, Houston Square in Johnstone and Renfrew Town Hall to show solidarity with the plight of innocent civilians in war-torn Gaza.

It was decided the flag would be erected bi-monthly to ensure it was alternated with the Ukrainian flag which has been on display across the area for more than two years following the Russian invasion.

However, 2,196 people have signed a petition on Change.org demanding the Palestinian flag be removed.

In the online petition, Mr Schmitz said: “The decision of Renfrewshire Council to fly the Palestinian flag outside Renfrewshire House and other public buildings is causing conflict and discomfort amongst our diverse community.

“While we respect the right to express solidarity with other nations and causes, it is critical to remember that such displays in public spaces should respect the sensitivities of all community members.

“In this regard, the Palestinian flag, due to its association with various contentious political issues, can be perceived as offensive and divisive by certain groups within our community.”

Explaining he sympathises with the ongoing struggles in the Middle East, Mr Schmitz says the local authority must refrain from displaying “such controversial symbols”.

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He added: “We firmly believe in an inclusive, neutral and respectful environment for all inhabitants of Renfrewshire, and therefore, we plead with the council to reconsider its current course of action.”

However, Paisley 4 Palestine – the organisation which lobbied Renfrewshire Council to fly the flag – insists people must remember that Hamas does not own it.

John Kelly, a founding member of the non-political campaign group, said: “We think it would be a mistake to take the flag down because we know that representatives of Palestinians in Gaza tell us that symbols of solidarity are something that keeps them going.

“It lets them know that the whole world has not forgotten them.

“The reality is that these symbols are not nearly enough and what we need to do is educate people on what’s happening in Gaza and the appalling murder of innocent people who have nowhere to go.

“We would urge people to educate themselves to better understand what’s happening in the present and on the history of the region, not to promote one side or the other but the understand the context to what’s going on.”

Paisley 4 Palestine hopes to organise an event in the coming months which seeks to explain the history of the conflict and to offer presentations from those who have studied the history of the Middle East.

Mr Kelly says this will further illustrate that the Palestinian flag does not belong to or is representative of Hamas – categorised as a terrorist organisation in the UK – but to ordinary Palestinian people.

Councillor Eddie Devine, who moved the motion to have the flag flown at a full meeting of the council in May, said he too rejected any notion that the show of solidarity was divisive.

The representative for Paisley Southeast told the Paisley Daily Express : “This is simply about showing our support for innocent civilians in Palestine. There is no political motive here whatsoever, this is a show of our humanity.

“We are not supporting Hamas, that’s the be all and end all. They have their own flag and it would be illegal to fly it here as it’s classed as a terrorist organisation in Great Britain.”

More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began on October 7 last year when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage.

While the Hamas-run health ministry does not differentiate between civilians and its members, the majority of those killed are women and children.

Thousands more are missing beneath the rubble. Almost 300 aid workers, more than two-thirds of them UN staff, have also been killed in the war which is nearing the one-year mark.

A spokesperson for Renfrewshire Council said: “Following the approval of a motion put forward by elected members at a recent full council meeting, the flag is being flown at Renfrewshire House in Paisley, Renfrew Town Hall and Houston Square, Johnstone. The flags will be up for two weeks when they are swapped with the Ukrainian flag. This process repeats every two weeks”.

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