Ukrainian flags are once again flying against the backdrop of the Czech Parliament buildings, after the newly appointed head of the lower house of the country's legislature, Tomio Okamura, recently ordered the removal of a solidarity sign installed back in 2022. UNN reports with reference to iDNES.
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After the Ukrainian flag was removed from the facade of the Chamber of Deputies building, personally supervised by the new Speaker of Parliament Tomio Okamura, not only a wave of criticism emerged, but also new Ukrainian flags that flew from the windows of the parliamentary offices of the Czech opposition.
According to many Czech politicians, what Okamura, who is also the leader of the right-wing populist SPD party, initiated is a shameful gesture, not only against Ukraine.
"The shameful antics of the accused Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Okamura at the stairs did not work. The Chamber of Deputies is not his property. The flag of Ukraine, as an expression of our support for a country that is bombed daily by Putin's terrorists, belongs on the building of the Chamber of Deputies. That is why my colleagues from our club immediately took care of the correction," wrote Minister of Defense from ODS (Czech liberal-conservative political party founded in 1991) Jana Černochová.
According to the head of the ODS parliamentary club, Marek Benda, the removal of the flag from the facade of the lower house is a disgrace for Okamura. "But nothing else could be expected from him. I'm just wondering what the new Vice-Chairman Patrik Nacher will say about this," he commented for iDNES.cz.
ODS Vice-Chairman Martin Kupka called the SPD leader a spreader of fear and hatred. "Anyone who truly cares about the pro-Western anchoring of our country and can distinguish between who is the aggressor and who is the victim should feel only shame," he wrote on the X network.
According to the head of the parliamentary club of mayors, Michaela Šebelová, the Ukrainian flag is an important symbol that the Czech Republic stands by the country attacked by Russia.
The head of the Pirate faction, Olga Richterová, hung a Ukrainian flag from the window of the lower house in response to the move by the new head of the lower house, Tomio Okamura, who removed the Ukrainian flag from the facade of the Chamber of Deputies building, iDNES.cz writes.
It should be noted that there was also a reaction from Ukrainian politicians:
The Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, also stated on Facebook: "The tearing down of the Ukrainian flag from the building of a European country's parliament, whose fraternal people support Ukrainians in this just struggle, is a questionable act."
The Ambassador of Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Vasyl Zvarych, thanked the citizens of the Czech Republic for their support after the newly elected Speaker of Parliament, Tomio Okamura, ordered the removal of the Ukrainian flag from the parliament building.
I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Czech people for their unwavering solidarity with Ukraine - a European state next to you, which was treacherously attacked by the Russian terrorist state. The flag of Ukraine, for which the bravest and most courageous are shedding blood today, is being tried to be destroyed by the Russian horde. Russia is afraid of the Ukrainian flag, because today it is not just a state symbol - the post says.
Recall
A short but symbolic demonstration took place near the building of the National Museum of the Czech Republic on Wenceslas Square in Prague: participants demanded the return of the Ukrainian flag to the facade of the museum, which had disappeared from public space