A 22-year-old man climbed a 28.5-metre flagpole outside Germany’s Reichstag building in Berlin and replaced the national flag with a Palestinian flag.

Axar.az reports, citing Bild, that the man removed the 60-square-metre German flag, threw it to the ground, and hoisted the Palestinian flag in its place. Two other men, aged 20 and 32, assisted him from the ground and filmed the action.

Firefighters arrived with an aerial ladder, and the man eventually climbed down. All three suspects were provisionally detained.

The 22-year-old told police he had acted in solidarity with Palestine. The group “Peacefully Against Genocide” later claimed responsibility for the action.

Bundestag President Julia Klockner called for increased security around parliament, while Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as an act of disrespect and deliberate provocation.