The street naming committee in Copenhagen is set to make a decision on the 17th of June regarding whether an area in Nørrebro should be renamed to “Palæstinas Plads” (Palestine Square). This was announced by the technical and environmental administration of the Municipality of Copenhagen in a press release. The proposal to name the square “Palæstinas Plads” has been in progress for almost a year. Already in August last year, a majority in the technical and environmental committee of the Copenhagen City Council voted in favor of the proposal. The majority consisted of members from the party Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance), Radikale (Social Liberal Party), SF (Socialist People’s Party), and Alternativet (The Alternative).
“We have a large group of Copenhageners who either come from or have roots in Palestine, and it is an important gesture towards our fellow citizens to name a square after the country they have roots in,” said Line Barfod, the technical and environmental mayor, in the press release. Originally, the street naming committee was supposed to address the issue on October 9th last year, but this was postponed due to Hamas’ attacks in Israel on October 7th. Now, the proposal has been put back on the agenda by Line Barfod, who is also the chairperson of the street naming committee.
The current area, located close to Nørrebrogade and potentially to be known as “Palæstinas Plads,” currently does not have a name. It will be interesting to see whether the proposal will be approved when the street naming committee meets on June 17th.