Twelve Lithuanian national flags were desecrated in Klaipėda on March 8, 2024, with locals suspecting a provocation potentially coordinated from abroad.

On March 8, 2024, twelve cases of Lithuanian national flags desecration were recorded in Klaipėda, Lithuania, starting just before 7:00 AM when police received reports that flags were pulled out, stems broken, and some flags burned. A pre-trial investigation was opened under the Criminal Code, which allows fines or imprisonment up to two years for such crimes. While the police withheld comment on whether this was a political provocation, local city council member Saulius Liekis mentioned the possibility of local hooligans or a deliberate provocation involving a strong nationalistic backlash. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated that such attacks on statehood symbols, flags and monuments, are planned and coordinated outside Lithuania, labeling it as targeted hostile activity with potential recurrence both in Lithuania and other NATO countries. The president emphasized the importance of national focus given the geopolitical tensions and adversaries’ intentions.