A CITY councillor has raised the idea of flying the Palestinian flag above the Guildhall.
Neil Laurenson made the suggestion at a full meeting of Worcester City Council on Tuesday, December 10.
The Green councillor asked council leader Lynn Denham if she’d be in favour of flying the flag of Palestine, but Cllr Denham gave a technical response and avoided answering the question.
“Councils in Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Rochdale flew the Palestinian flag on November 29 to mark the date when, in 1947, the United Nations formally adopted the plan to partition Palestine,” said Cllr Laurenson.
Would you as leader of this council be in favour of flying the Palestinian flag above the Guildhall and in Cathedral Square?”
Cllr Denham replied: “Within this council there are rules and requirements around what flags can be flown.
“Flags flown at the Guildhall are in accordance with the guidance published by the department for culture, media and sport.
“There are designated days when the union flag must be flown. The guidance also states that where UK government buildings have only one flagpole the union flag should be flown every day except on certain occasions when other flags may be flown.
“Requests from councillors and members of the public to fly other flags are considered by the managing director and officers with delegated authority.”
Cllr Laurenson had previously asked: “What flags have been flown on the Guildhall and in Cathedral Square since the start of 2021?”
Cllr Denham said that since January 2021, the union flag, the commonwealth flag and the armed forces flag had been flown at the Guildhall.
In 2024, the union flag, the Ukraine flag, the Worcestershire county flag, the pride flag, black history flag, the Windrush flag, the Flag of Peace and St George’s flag have all been flown in Cathedral Square.