On May 9th, Russian flags could be waved at the Soviet War Memorial in Treptow to commemorate the end of the Second World War – but not Ukrainian ones Photo: Carsten Koall/dpa/Christian Lohse
By Miriam Krekel
With the ban on the Ukrainian flag and the simultaneous permission to dress in Russian colors, Berlin has caused a lot of misunderstanding in the past few days. A comment from BZ editor-in-chief Miriam Krekel
Already at the weekend, the BZ reported on the shameful ban on flags that Berlin issued on May 8th and 9th at 15 locations in the capital. Not only Russian state symbols were banned for private individuals, police officers also had to collect Ukrainian flags. So not only the flag under whose rule people are being tortured and killed, but also the one under which fighting is taking place in the name of our freedom.
What happened on Monday at the commemoration sends an image out into the world that people are ashamed of. Russian officials, guests of the ambassador, waved huge flags. While a woman in yellow pants and a blue sweater was taken away by police officers. The celebration was similar in color to the Russian parade in Moscow. How is even a Ukrainian supposed to understand that?
It may seem logical for some politicians to allow official symbols, but not for others. That alone is difficult to understand. But how one can SO MUCH underestimate the power of images is beyond me.
Unfortunately, the spontaneously arranged lighting of the Brandenburg Gate in Ukraine colors only seems as if someone had a guilty conscience. I’m not sure if that makes it all better or worse.
