To celebrate the arrival of the Olympic Games, the city of Gap installed dozens of flags in the city center. But among them, some surprise, even shock: that of North Korea and Iran.
The Iranian flag, or even that of North Korea: the banners of these two countries now fly among several dozen others in the streets of downtown Gap.
It was on the occasion of the Olympic Games that the town hall decided to honor countries around the world by installing flags in the streets. But some passers-by are surprised to see the colors of certain dictatorships flying. “It’s a bit weird,” says Geneviève. “I find that surprising.”
“I would prefer to see that of Europe or France,” adds Marie-Claude at the microphone of BFM DICI. Flags which are also hoisted, a little further away.
Other residents interviewed were less harsh. For them, these flags represent peoples before representing political regimes.
“It’s not very smart”
On the side of the opposition in the municipal council of Gap, Élie Cordier ironically: “I knew that the mayor had a pronounced taste for excess of authority and brutality with his teams, but from there to proudly displaying the flag of the North Korea in our streets is something else!”
A local authority, for his part, grimaces: “frankly, it’s not very smart.” “Having a flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran or that of North Korea, in the geopolitical context that we know… It clearly shocked me.”
Within the local political class, many are also surprised. “No, he didn’t do that?”, asks a Gapençais political executive upon hearing the news by telephone, before bursting into laughter.
Contacted, the mayor of Gap Roger Didier explained to BFM DICI that the municipality purchased the available flags, without making any choices and that practical reasons prevailed.
