“I think that backfired, in the sense that it’s now brought a lot of attention to the issue,” said attendee Valerie Zink of Mayor Sandra Masters’ decision to cancel the event.
A crowd gathered at city hall Friday to protest the city’s cancellation of an event to raise the Palestinian flag on the property.
Though the flagpole above the 60-or-so people gathered remained empty, attendees carried their own Palestinian flags and signage decrying the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the surrounding region.
“From Treaty 4 to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” chanted the crowd.
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The rally marked the anniversary of the proclamation of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, a date organizers intended to honour by flying Palestine’s flag at city after submitting a request to the city per the required flag protocol.
The City of Regina had approved the ask but cancelled those plans last-minute on Thursday afternoon.
“At the direction of Mayor Sandra Masters, the flag raising and ceremony for Palestine that had been planned for tomorrow, Friday November 15, will not proceed,” the city said in an email that did not contain any further details.
The reason for the walk-back remains unclear, as the mayor’s office has yet to respond to the Leader-Post’s request for comment.
Palestine Solidarity Regina, which had organized the flag raising, stated late on Thursday that supporters would still attend city hall Friday morning.
“I think everyone was expecting it to go ahead quietly and peacefully with very little attention, but it’s obviously gone in a very different direction now because of Sandra Masters’ decision to shut it down,” said Valerie Zink, speaking as a member of the group, at the rally.
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“I think that backfired, in the sense that it’s now brought a lot of attention to the issue.”
Protestors remained peaceful, delivering a variety of call-and-answer chants. Several spoke directly to Masters with calls like: “Mayor Sandra don’t you see, genocide’s your legacy.”
About a dozen police officers also lingered in the courtyard, intervening only a handful of times to separate one vocal counter-protestor from others in the crowd.
According to the group, Regina would have been the first major Canadian city to fly the Palestinian flag if the event had proceeded as planned.
Doaa Abdelbary from Palestine Solidarity Regina said organizers this week were not notified directly that their request was being rescinded on Thursday, nor provided an explanation for why.
“Everyone knows this was promised by the city,” she reminded, in reference to the city’s approval of a similar request to fly Israel’s flag to honour its independence day on May 14.
At that time, a city spokesperson said the flag-raising was in response to a public request and was in accordance with the flag policy. It proceeded, despite upset from the community.
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“The Palestinian Day of Independence is on November 15. We would honour a request to raise the Palestinian flag that day if received,” said the city’s statement in May.
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Zink said raising the Palestinian flag was meant to be a show of solidarity for the international community, as the flag is a symbol “pre-dates the genocide currently happening in Palestine and pre-dates the formation of Hamas by 70 years.”
“It represents the struggle of Palestinians to be free from colonial rule, from an apartheid regime, from an illegal military occupation, and that’s what we’re here for today,” said Zink.
A petition on Change.org posted Thursday and calling for the city to re-instate the ceremony had more than 1,200 signatures by Friday morning.
“We are not asking for special consideration, only equal consideration,” wrote Eimaan Agha, who started the petition. “It’s essential that the Palestinian community is recognized as an integral part of Regina’s diverse cultural mosaic.”
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In an email statement provided before the cancellation announcement Thursday, city clerk Jim Nicol said recommendations to alter the city’s Flag Protocol Procedure are currently on the table awaiting city council’s direction. If approved, the new policy aims to try and prevent these types of situations in the future.
A report on updating the policy was tabled ahead this spring, crafted in response to outcry over Israel’s flag being flown in May.
The report suggests altering the policy to no longer allow the flying of flags other than those of Canada, Saskatchewan, the Union Jack, City of Regina, Treaty 4 or Metis Nation outside city hall or in council chambers.
Exceptions to the rule would be flying a nation’s flag if or when official dignitaries visit the city, or for flags of local non-profits during events.
“We are confident that the proposed changes to the Flag Protocol Procedure, if approved by Council, would help prevent similar situations in the future,” said Nicol in the statement.
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