Admin l Friday, May 5, 2023
BERLIN – Berlin authorities on Friday banned the display of both Russian and Ukrainian flags at three Soviet Union war memorials in the German capital during celebrations to mark the end of World War II next week.
The playing of marches and other military tunes at the memorials in Treptow, Tiergarten and Schönholzer Heide is also prohibited to allow “dignified commemoration of the fallen soldiers of the Soviet Union of the time,” the police said.
Activities aimed at approving or glorifying the war in Ukraine are also banned “on account of the current situation,” they said. A similar ban enforced on May 8 and 9 last year drew sharp criticism from the Ukrainian ambassador.
The Berlin Senate, the city-state’s executive, said it was seeking to prevent commemoration of the fallen being brought into conflict with the current war in Ukraine.
In their statement, police said the move aimed to ensure respect for the memorials “against the backdrop of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war.”
As last year, diplomats and World War II veterans are excluded from the bans.
Germany and most other countries mark the end of the war on May 8 each year, while Russia marks it on May 9.
