The Palestinian flag was raised at Belfast City Hall five hours after a narrow number of councilors voted to fly it.
The Palestinian flag was due to be flown on Saturday but did not appear after the council received legal advice on the matter.
Sinn Féin's motion passed by 32 votes to 28 on Monday and was introduced just after midnight in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) is now challenging the legality of this decision.
Small groups of supporters and opponents of the flying flag gathered to watch.
Police were on foot and in vehicles at the scene.
Flying the flag was first approved at a council meeting in early November. [Getty Images]
Last month, the council voted overwhelmingly to raise the flag, but unionists objected and then used the city hall summons procedure to challenge the legitimacy of the decision.
Legal advice on the flying flag has been published on the Belfast City Council website.
It said “the decision was not made after due consideration of the relevant facts and issues.”
TUV board member Ron McDowell filed an application challenging the flag raising. [BBC]
Unionists still hope to challenge the flying Palestinian flag.
TUV councilor Ron McDowell said he was going to the High Court to challenge the flying of the flag.
He said the council's decision was “an attempt to circumvent the law.”
“We have immediately filed a lawsuit, which is scheduled to be heard tomorrow at 11 a.m. Tuesday,” he said.
“We were told that, according to the council's fairness report, there was no negative impact on good relations in the city, but the situation in Palestine and Israel is rooted in the two communities and is deeply controversial,” he said, adding that this had led to people protesting the decision.
“This is an emotional issue,” he told BBC News NI, adding that Monday night's hearing was not “democratic”.
Other options explored
The 60-member council returned to the issue at a special meeting Monday night before its monthly meeting, but the vote was much closer than the original proposal.
The Alliance Party supported the original proposal, but on Monday proposed lighting up City Hall with Palestinian colors for the New Year.
They voted against raising the flag, but it was supported by the Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP) and the Green Party, as well as Sinn Féin.
Sinn Féin councilor Ryan Murphy said it was “right for us to show solidarity and support” for the Palestinian people. [BBC]
The original plan to raise the flag was proposed by Sinn Féin councilor Ryan Murphy to mark the United Nations' “international day of solidarity with the people of Palestine”.
“In light of the ongoing genocide against the people of Gaza, we rightly extend our solidarity and support to them,” he said.
With 22 representatives on the council, Sinn Féin is the largest party at City Hall.
Sarah Bunting said displaying the flag “risks creating further division”. [BBC]
Defending the unions' objections, DUP City Hall leader Sarah Bunting said: “Belfast City Hall represents everyone in our city. Raising the Palestinian flag would embroil us in a deeply contested international conflict and risks creating further division here at home.”
She later said in a statement that “the decision to raise the Palestinian flag from midnight was a scandalous procedural violation.”
“Our small Jewish community will understandably view this as deeply intimidating and as a move that risks fueling anti-Semitism in our city,” she added.
A detailed legal analysis of the plan to raise the Palestinian flag was distributed to advisers last week.
They were told that “counsel found the challenge to be justified on procedural grounds, but not on public impact grounds.”
Monday's monthly meeting is the last scheduled meeting of the full council this year.
Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Doherty was verbally abused by some protesters as he left City Hall. [BBC]
Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Doherty was verbally abused by some protesters as he left City Hall.
A group of about 30 people gathered at the rear gate of the council building and affixed two union flags and an Israeli flag to the window railings. Some in the crowd shouted at Doherty when he appeared.
An SDLP councilor later described the protesters as a “mob”.
He said: “They came against me and threw a lot of insults at me, but the bottom line is that I am very proud to support the people of Palestine.”
Doherty was one of 32 councilors who supported the decision to raise the Palestinian flag.
Ron McDowell said he was disappointed to learn that “anyone was assaulted coming out of City Hall” and that people should “stick to legal means” of protest.
Protesters gathered outside Belfast City Hall on Monday evening. [BBC]
Earlier, the votes of two councilors proved decisive.
People Before Profit's Michael Collins and independent Paul McCusker backed the high-profile motion and helped secure a four-vote majority.
After the council meeting ended, Sinn Féin insisted that the flag be raised at midnight.
Before it was raised, councilor Ryan Murphy said his party would make sure it actually went through.
He said: “In our view this has been unduly delayed. This was supposed to happen on Saturday.”
