The new speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies, Tomio Okamura, has had the Ukrainian flag removed from the parliament building, he wrote on social media yesterday. The flag had been there since the start of the war as a symbol of solidarity for the country facing Russian military invasion.
The flag disappeared from the building yesterday afternoon, the day after Okamura, leader of the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), was elected as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.
“It is a certain symbol,” Okamura told news server iDNES.cz. “The Ukrainian flag was removed from the Czech lower house on my instruction and it took a few seconds.”
Politicians from the outgoing government and the Pirates have called the removal a shameful, cowardly and disgraceful move. As a symbol of protest against Okamura and solidarity with Ukraine, they hung Ukrainian flags from the windows of their parliamentary groups’ offices in the evening.
Okamura’s predecessor in the post, Marketa Pekarova Adamova (TOP 09), told CTK the removal of the flag was a shameful gesture, not only against Ukraine, but also against the values on which the Czech Republic is founded. “The Ukrainian flag on the lower house building was a symbol of humanity and solidarity with a nation facing brutality and an unjust war,” she said.
According to Vit Rakusan, leader of the Mayors and Independents (STAN) and interior minister in the outgoing government, Okamura had chosen his first day in office to trample on values such as solidarity and the courage to support a country under attack by Russia.
Outgoing transport minister and Civic Democrat (ODS) deputy leader Martin Kupka described Okamura as a “peddler of fear and hatred”.
“It is sad and shameful, but unfortunately not surprising,” Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) leader and outgoing agriculture minister Marek Vyborny told CTK. “But this move is not just about him, it is also about the entire incoming governing coalition, which elected him to head the lower house and thus gave him space to take similar steps. For a long time they have been silent about their position on Ukraine, but now it has become clear where the wind is blowing.”
During the evening, MPs from ODS, Pirates and STAN flew the Ukrainian flag from the windows and balconies of the parliamentary building. They said they were protesting against Okamura’s move and showing that they continue to support Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression.
Okamura said on Czech Television (CT) yesterday that his SPD movement had promised before the 3-4 October elections that there would be only Czech flags on Czech public buildings, and it was keeping its promise.
The Czech flag, the flag of the European Union and the flag of Israel, which has been there since the October 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas, are now flying on the Czech parliament buildings.
Okamura told CT that he had nothing against Israel, but the Chamber’s leadership may discuss the fate of the Israeli flag now flying on the parliament building.
Ukraine’s blue-and-yellow flag also disappeared from the National Museum in Prague’s central Wenceslas Square over the summer. The museum management took it down to promote an exhibition of the fossils of human ancestors, Lucy and Selam. The museum spokeswoman said that the area on the facade is and will be used by the museum to promote important exhibitions and events.
In late October, dozens of people demanded the return of the flag to the building’s facade during an event on the museum’s terrace. On the other hand, several demonstrations were held there in the past protesting against the flying of the Ukrainian flag.
On Monday, the day of the Chamber of Deputies constituent session, representatives of three pro-Palestinian initiatives sent an open letter to MPs calling for the removal of the Israeli flag from the building. They said the Israeli flag represents a state that is committing open genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for the second year.
