Elon Musk slams EU as Syrian migrants flood European cities: 'Raising a foreign flag is treason'

WASHINGTON, DC: Elon Musk tore into the wave of Syrian anniversary celebrations sweeping major European cities, branding the flag-waving displays as blatant disloyalty.

“Raising a foreign flag is treason and should result in immediate deportation,” Musk wrote on X, while reposting Norwegian journalist Rebecca Mistereggen’s broadside aimed at the celebrations.

Mistereggen wrote on X, “Syrian [sic] did this all over Europe, from Oslo to London, through Berlin: raining their flags and demonstrating. Question is, why are they even here? Their reason for fleeing is gone. Return home.”

The journalist's post went viral, drawing more than 20 million views as clips flooded social platforms showing Syrians pouring into plazas from Berlin’s Alexanderplatz to London’s Trafalgar Square, cheering, lighting fireworks, and even draping the green-white-black Syrian flag over public squares.

Syrians celebrate anniversary of fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime

The outpouring comes on the one-year mark of Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapse on December 8, 2024, after rebels toppled his regime in a stunning offensive that sent the longtime strongman fleeing to Moscow.

In Damascus, the festivities were huge. Umayyad Square saw military parades, skydivers, and fireworks as crowds rallied around interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who promised the country was turning a rather historic corner. 

He said Syria was “rebuilding itself through establishing a new State, building institutions and laws that guarantee the rights of all without exception.”

The UN says nearly 1.8 million Syrians have already headed home, but the diaspora held its own celebrations across Europe.

Berlin’s Alexanderplatz was filled with chants of “Freedom for Syria!” and a mix of Syrian and German flags. Utrecht saw a crowd circle St Martin’s Cathedral, shouting “Allahu Akbar” as Syrian banners waved overhead. Oslo had similar scenes of the apparent “rain of flags” Mistereggen complained about.

London’s Hyde Park drew a large Syrian turnout, while Paris and Stockholm reported traffic jams caused by honking convoys.

In Germany alone, experts say more than 50,000 Syrian refugees took part in the anniversary events.

Elon Musk vs Brussels

Musk’s post wasn’t just a knee-jerk reaction. It was another shot in his long-running feud with the European Union’s approach to immigration.

He has repeatedly blasted what he sees as the EU’s soft policies, complaining they enable cultural clashes and undermine national identity. Just last month, he went as far as questioning the EU’s very existence. “Members of a nation must have a common culture, or it is not a nation," he argued.

It came after the union slapped X with a $140 million fine on Friday for breaking the bloc's digital rules.

"The EU should be abolished, and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people," Musk wrote after the fine was announced.

Meanwhile, Musk hasn’t budged on migrants. Earlier this year, he urged leaders to “close the borders and deport criminals,” accusing legacy media of ignoring “migrant-linked crime and violence.”

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