Flag Jail

From the BBC:

“Burning EU and other flags can now bring German jail term”

Germany has made public burning of the EU flag or that of another country punishable by up to three years in jail, classing it as a hate crime. The vote in the Bundestag (parliament) on Thursday makes defiling foreign flags equal to the crime of defiling the German flag. The same applies for the EU anthem, Beethoven's Ode to Joy theme. The move followed Social Democrat (SPD) complaints about protesters' burning of the Israeli flag in Berlin in 2017. Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht, a member of the centre-left SPD, said "burning flags publicly has nothing to do with peaceful protests". She said it stoked up "hatred, anger and aggression", and hurt many people's feelings.  The new law also applies to acts of defilement besides burning, such as publicly ripping a flag up. Public display of the Nazi swastika and other Nazi symbols is already banned in Germany. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has condemned the new law as "excessive interference in free speech and artistic expression". The act of defiling the Union Flag in the UK is not a crime, but France has made desecration of the tricolour punishable by a fine of up to €7,500 (£6,600; $8,000) or six months in jail.  Spain, Italy and Greece also have laws banning desecration of the national flag.

^ I lived in Germany twice and had no idea that it was illegal to burn the German flag. I knew it was illegal to display Nazi-era flags and symbols. The law now making it illegal to burn the flag of any country (like Israel) or an organization (like the EU) is a bold step. I personally would like to see it become illegal to burn the American flag within the US as well as making it illegal to own a Confederate flag (but you can burn them if you like.) I’m curious to see what, if anything, the Germans actually do to punish those who burn a flag. It’s one thing to make it illegal on paper and another to enforce a punishment. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52674809