29 May 2024: France’s lower house of parliament suspended Sebastien Delogu, a deputy from the hard-left Les Insoumis (LFI) party, for 15 days on Tuesday for waving a Palestinian flag during a session, halting proceedings for about an hour.
“This is not tolerable,” stated National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet as she suspended the session and excluded Delogu, who also faced a halving of his deputy’s pay for two months.
Delogu waved the flag to show support for Palestinians amidst intense Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip following the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel. The conflict has sharply divided global public opinion, with LFI positioning itself as a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause.
“I waved the Palestinian flag in the National Assembly because, as I speak, France sells weapons and parts to supply the Israeli army,” Delogu told reporters. “There is a genocide going on there.”
The incident occurred as junior trade minister Franck Riester was addressing questions about the situation in Gaza, where Israel’s offensive against Hamas militants has drawn widespread condemnation for its high civilian toll.
