New York City's Noguchi Museum announced on Wednesday that it terminated three employees for violating its updated dress code by wearing keffiyehs, scarves that have become widely associated with solidarity for the Palestinian cause.
The decision came in the wake of global protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza, with many demonstrators adopting the black-and-white keffiyeh to express support for Palestinian self-determination. Critics, however, view the scarf as a provocative symbol tied to extremism.
Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which escalated into an ongoing military conflict resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and a humanitarian crisis, the museum implemented a policy banning attire that conveyed "political messages, slogans, or symbols."
In its statement, the museum expressed its commitment to maintaining a neutral environment for visitors, saying, "While we understand the intention behind wearing this garment was to express personal views, we recognize that such expressions can unintentionally alienate segments of our diverse visitorship."
One of the fired employees, Natalie Cappellini, shared on Instagram that she felt the museum was unfairly labeling the keffiyeh as a "political" symbol, using the term to suppress support for Palestinians.
Reuters was unable to reach the other two dismissed staff members for comment.
