A majority of 29 out of 55 Copenhagen City Council members voted to name a location "Palestine Square", it was announced on Thursday. The new name is set to take effect on April 1.
The discussion to name a Copenhagen square after Palestine has been ongoing for a while, and not without controversy.
In August 2023, a majority of The Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten), The Social Liberal Party (Radikale Venstre), The Socialist People's Party (SF), and The Alternative (Alternativet) supported the proposal to name the square.
The decision had been set for October 9, 2023, but was postponed following Hamas's October 7 massacre.
Danish-Palestinians welcomed the decision, viewing it as "a testament to the strong ties between Denmark and Palestine," according to Palestinian Authority state media WAFA.
"They expressed that the renaming signifies Denmark's solidarity with the Palestinian cause, reaffirming the country's stance in support of Palestinian rights and its quest for freedom and independence. Members of the City Council also expressed pride in the decision, emphasizing that it represents the Danish people's support for the Palestinian struggle and their right to establish an independent state," WAFA added.
Fathi El-Abed, chairman of the Danish-Palestinian Friendship Association, expressed excitement over the decision, calling it a "historic day," adding that "it has been a long and challenging process with ups and downs. But now, we can see that there is a majority in favor of naming a Palestine Square in the heart of our Copenhagen," according to Danish news site DR.
Email campaign of compromise
Thousands of emails were sent to Copenhagen city councillors on Wednesday, urging them to consider Denmark's historical ties to the Jewish community and reject the proposal, DR reported.
The emails emphazised that "public squares should unite, not divide," and stated that the square would remind Jews of the October 7 attack and other attacks by PFLP, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, DR reported.
Some of the emails suggested naming the square after an anti-Hamas Palestinian activist, or naming it as "Reconciliation Square" instead, according to DR.
The square will be located in the city's Nørrebro neighborhood in north Copenhagen, at the intersection of Nørrebrogade, Esromgade, and Hillerødgade.