Staff protest library policy preventing the wear of Palestinian symbols

Staff were rallying outside Vancouver Public Library Wednesday after the implementation of a policy that stops them from wearing pro-Palestinian symbols at work.

According to an email from the library management the policy applies to all personal political symbols, but Tamer Aburamadan, who helped organize the rally, said he doesn’t buy it.

“It is couched in very neutral terms, which is ‘we don’t allow any expression of solidarity,’ but the fact that this only came about because their staff are wearing Palestinian keffiyeh, watermelons, and other symbols indicates that it is targeted,” he told The Leader Spirit.

The VPL says the policy isn’t designed to specifically single out Palestinian support, instead “VPL expects staff, as public servants, to maintain impartiality on political issues while carrying out their duties unless otherwise endorsed by the VPL Board,” a statement reads

Now that means that, if the board has taken a position, employees can show their support. If the board remains silent, so must its employees.

The board has publicly endorsed both Orange Shirt Day and Pride month to name a few.

The BC Civil Liberties Association says the restriction that applies on pro-Palestinian symbols is an overstep.

“It also potentially runs counter to the BC Human Rights Code, which protects political belief in the employment context,” Veronica Martisius, staff counsel at the BCCLA, told The Leader Spirit.

The City of Vancouver released 200 pages internal library documents after a freedom of information request which revealed a complaint about a piece of pro-Palestinian art. Another complaint singled out staff wearing the watermelon symbol.

VPL said libraries must be able to serve their communities and anything that makes users uncomfortable fails to do that.