Flag desecration

Flag desecration is a term that is applied to descretation of flags, violation of the flag protocol, or a various sets of acts that intentionally destroy, damage or mutilitate a flag in public. In the case of national flag, such action is often intended to make a political point against the country or other policies. Some countries have laws forbidding methods of destruction (such as burning in public) or forbidding particular uses (such as commercial purposes).

Actions that may be treated include burning it, defecating or urinating it, defacing it with slogans, hanging upside down, cutting or ripping it, verbally insulting it, touching the ground or even eating it.

Flag desecration may be undertaken for a variety of reasons. It may be a protest against the country's foreign policy, including one's own or the nature of the government there. It may be a protest against nationalism or a deliberate and symbolic insult to the people of the country represented by the flag. It may also be a protest at the very laws prohibiting the act of desecrating a flag.

Burning or defacing a flag is a crime in some countries. If it is conducted in someone else's property, it is considered arson or vandalism.

Flying a flag upside down is conventional protocol that it is an emergency or problem, or to indicate a state of war. Moreover, some flags (such as the flag of Austria) when hung upside down and/or reversed looks the same because they are vertically and/or horizontally symmetrical.

Some countries regard it as desecration to make toilet paper, napkins, floor mats and other such images that bears the image of the flag, so that the flag's image will be destroyed or soiled. Views vary as to whether some of this is an act of national pride or disrespect.

Incidents

 * 24 August 2011: The Singapore flag was flown upside down at Tampines Central CC.
 * July 2014: Two flags in Punggol Field Walk were flown inverted.
 * 22 July 2015: Some of the Singapore flags were made in such a way that they touch the ground and hang upside down. In 2012, a member of the public had been flown upside down outside the multi-storey carpark at Compassvale Lane in Sengkang.
 * 25 July 2017: The Singapore flag was flown upside down outside Aqua-Nautic Specialist Pte Ltd at Sembawang Road.
 * 23 July 2019: The Singapore flag was flown upside down outside Tampines East Neighbourhood 2.