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The City of Toronto approved a request from a non-profit to fly the Palestine flag at city hall on Nov. 17 for the first time.
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians requested the flag raising to recognize State of Palestine Independence Day, which takes place on Nov. 15.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s press secretary, Braman Thillainathan, said in an emailed statement that the flag raising was approved by the city’s protocol office, not city council or the mayor.
“City Council provided city staff the authority to manage the public flagpole booking process based on policy approved by council in 1999,” Thillainathan said Monday.
A city spokesperson told CBC Toronto Monday that just because the city is raising a flag, it doesn’t mean the city supports a particular cause.
“The use of the City’s courtesy flagpole neither implies nor expresses support for the politics or policies of nations and/or organizations but raises the flag in recognition of those citizens or members that have made the request,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
They also said the city flies flags of nations that are recognized by the Government of Canada on their national days, special occasions or anniversaries. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recognized Palestine in September at the United Nations General Assembly — an announcement Chow’s spokesperson said Global Affairs Canada later confirmed directly with the city.
Last year, there were more than 60 flag raisings at Toronto City Hall.