They told the Herald they felt demeaned and belittled, and described the male staff member who delivered the instructions as “hostile”.
A keffiyeh is a traditional cotton scarf worn in parts of the Middle East, often as a headdress.
Black-and-white keffiyeh are worn by Palestinians to represent their desire for freedom, and by non-Palestinians to show solidarity with Palestine.
Security did not ask why Gray was wearing the keffiyeh and did not accept their offer to hide it under their gown, the student claimed.
Gray had travelled from overseas to attend the ceremony at the Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch, and had family in attendance.
“I didn’t feel like I was able to refuse his demand without risking my only opportunity to formally graduate,” Gray said.
Gray was graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in sociology and media and communications. They were also receiving a Senior Scholarship for high academic achievement in their final year of studies.
University of Canterbury graduate Davien Gray, 24, said they were told to take their keffiyeh off during their graduation ceremony in April.
They said they are not Palestinian but wore the keffiyeh for graduation to honour Palestinian students whose universities had been bombed during the current conflict with Israel.
“It wasn’t a protest or in any way a disruption to my graduating cohort,” Gray said.
A University of Canterbury spokesperson confirmed Gray did take off their keffiyeh and was able to cross the graduation stage.
They told the Herald: “Cultural garments of honour are welcomed to be worn within the guidance provided in advance to all students attending graduation celebrations.”
The guidance provided on the university’s website says students are “welcome to wear a cultural or heirloom brooch on your regalia, these are the only accessories allowed”.
“Wearing garments of honour from your own tradition such as a kākahu/korowai or ta’ovala is welcomed.”
It does not specify whether keffiyeh fall into those categories.
Gray said they had “gone out of their way” to ensure the keffiyeh sat underneath their regalia so they could “uphold the mana of the graduation ceremony by following the regalia guidelines”.
When Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter learned of the incident she sought an “urgent hui” with the university.
A pro-Palestine group from Canterbury posted about the incident on Instagram, which caught the eye of the Green Party.
Christchurch-based Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter contacted the university to ask for an “urgent hui” with the chancellor to seek clarity on the situation.
Carter said she wanted to give the university an opportunity to address whether or not students were allowed to wear keffiyeh.
“Students have a right to freedom of expression and the university has an obligation to uphold this.
“If these reports are true, the university is violating their obligation and that is why we are concerned.”
Carter met with deputy vice-chancellor Cheryl de la Rey on April 24, where the university confirmed it had received a formal complaint and was now following its student complaints procedure.
In a statement to the Herald, the university said it “will continue to progress the matter carefully and in line with these processes”.
“Our approach is to support cultural expression within the framework of [our] regulations and protocols, and these have been applied consistently across our graduation celebrations.”
Carter said the university was opening an investigation but had yet to assign a responsible officer to conduct it.
She said the university had put Gray in touch with the University of Canterbury Students’ Association, and both the student and the security guard had been offered support.
The university said anyone who was concerned about how the protocols were applied could raise complaints through the UC Concerns portal.
Janhavi Gosavi is a Wellington-based journalist for the New Zealand Herald who covers news in the capital.