Town halls in France fly Palestinian flag 

Nearly a hundred town halls, including that of Lyon, France's third-largest city, flew the Palestinian flag on Monday to mark the recognition of a Palestinian state, despite the firm opposition of the interior minister, news agency AFP has reported. 

The development came on the same day as France and other countries prepared to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, following recognition by the UK, Australia and Canada on Sunday.

Pro-Palestine activists and elected officials unfurled a Palestinian flag for around thirty minutes on the facade of the capital's city hall on Monday, against the wishes of Paris's socialist mayor, Anne Hidalgo.

The French interior ministry had instructed prefects to stop all flag-flying, based on the principles of public service neutrality, non-interference in France's international policy and the risk of "serious disturbances" to public order.

More than 100 years after the Balfour Declaration backed “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”, the UK, along with Canada, Australia and Portugal, officially announced their recognition of a Palestinian state on Sunday.