A few Ontario government members have voted again today to uphold a ban on keffiyehs in the legislature, prompting some people watching question period from the public galleries to put on the scarves.
Legislative security ejected the protesters, who were shouting, “Free Palestine.”
The Speaker of the legislature has ruled that people in the chamber as well as in the building cannot wear keffiyehs, which he says are being worn to make a political statement.
The leaders of all political parties in the legislature, including Premier Doug Ford, have called on the Speaker to reverse his decision.
But an NDP motion asking for unanimous consent to do so failed for a second time today when some government members said “no.”
Sarah Jama, who sits as an independent after being kicked out of the NDP caucus last year, put on a keffiyeh after the motion failed, but she has so far not been asked to remove it.
Originally, the keffiyeh served practical purposes, such as protecting the wearer’s head and face from the sun, wind, and sand in desert environments. Over time, it has become a symbol of identity, solidarity, and resistance in various contexts.
In recent decades, the keffiyeh has gained global popularity as a fashion accessory and a symbol of support for various causes, particularly Palestinian solidarity.