MARCH 6, 2025 — A marketing campaign for International Women’s Day in Lebanon has sparked widespread criticism after a Lebanese flag with a diagonal red stripe over the cedar tree was raised in Martyrs’ Square, Beirut, reports Al-Quds Al-Arabi.
The altered flag was reportedly intended to convey a message about women representing half of the country, but it instead led to a wave of backlash on social media.
The National Council for the Lebanese Flag issued a statement denouncing what it called a “blatant assault on the nation’s symbol.”
The council declared, “This act is an insult to the values of the Lebanese state and a clear violation of the flag’s sanctity. The Lebanese flag is not just a piece of cloth; it represents the unity of the people and the sovereignty of the nation. Any action that distorts or defaces it is completely unacceptable.”
Following the backlash, organizers of the campaign quickly took down the modified flag from Martyrs’ Square and announced that the original Lebanese flag would be restored without any alterations.
Image: Al-Quds Al-Arabi
