Peace for Paris flags (France)

Last modified: 2016-04-02 by ivan sache
Keywords: paris |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors

Peace for Paris flags, three versions manufactured by MACAP, Unic and Le Mée, respectively - Images by Ivan Sache, 9 January 2016

• Peace for Paris flags

See also:

• France
• France: Peace flags

Peace for Paris flags

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that claimed 130 lives on 13 November 2015 in Paris, Jean Jullien, a 32 year-old, French-borne photographer and designer living in London (personal website), spontaneously sketched the "Peace for Paris" drawing (original drawing), made of the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower interlaced with the peace symbol. Posted on Instagram on 14 November 2015 at noon, the drawing swiftly spread through the social networks, being first credited to the British street artist Banksy.
After his identity was revealed, the true designer explained that he does not care for the credit and wants to offer the drawing for free to anyone who would use in a respectful manner - for instance, funds obtained from the sale of products bearing the drawing should be fully transferred to the families of the victims or to associations defending their rights.
[The New York Times, 15 November 2015]

On 25 November, François Hollande, President of the Republic, called the citizens to hoist the French national flag on 27 November, the day of the state homage rendered to the victims in Hôtel des Invalides, Paris. The call initiated an unprecedented demand of French flags. The flag manufacturers increased production, mostly focusing on undefaced flags; some manufacturers additionally produced flags defaced with the Peace for Paris symbol:
- MACAP (website), based in Cuers (Var), sold square flags with the drawing in the center (Nice-Matin, 25 November 2015; France Info, 26 November 2015);
- Unic (website), based in Saint-Paul-lès-Romans (Drôme), hoisted on 27 November a French flag with the drawing shifted to the top of the white stripe (France Bleu Drôme-Ardèche, 25 November 2015);
- Le Mée (website), based in Saint-Grégoire (Ille-et-Vilaine), hoisted on 27 November a French flag with the drawing in the center, slightly overlapping the blue and red stripes (Ouest-France, 27 November 2015).