Palestinian keffiyeh scarf banned from being worn on floor of Victorian parliament

Politicians have been banned from wearing of the keffiyeh — a scarf that symbolises support for Palestine — from the floor of the Victorian parliament.

Politicians have been banned from wearing a scarf that symbolises support for Palestine in Victoria’s parliament.

Prior to the ruling, Greens MP Gabrielle de Vietri had for months been wearing the keffiyeh while inside the chamber.

But on Wednesday, lower house speaker Maree Edwards and upper house president Shaun Leane deemed the scarf to be ‘political’, meaning it now falls under parliament's ban on wearing political statements in the chamber.

The keffiyeh has long been viewed as a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, and is regularly worn by protesters during weekly rallies in the CBD.

Greens MP Gabrielle de Vietri wearing a keffiyeh in parliament. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake

Labor, Liberal and Nationals MPs all heckled Greens leader Ellen Sandell in the chamber when she attempted to question the ban.

Deputy Liberal leader David Southwick, who is Jewish, called Ms Sandell a “disgrace”.

He said he supported the ban, saying the scarf was “triggering” because Hamas terrorists wore them during the October 7 massacre.

“It’s not a peace sign, it’s not something that anybody should be wearing in a parliament,” he said.

“This is not a protest, it’s not a place for activists.

“I would call on the Greens to grow up and stop trying to politicise something that is not in our own backyard.”

Outside parliament, Greens MPs donned keffiyehs to both recognise Nakba Day, which marks the displacement of Palestinian people in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and protest the ban.

The minor party has called on the Allan government to make public its memorandum of understanding with the Israeli defence ministry.

“Victorian Labor has secret relationships with the Israeli Ministry of Defence and Elbit Systems - Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer,” Ms Sandell said.

“The Victorian community has a right to know what support our government is giving a government that is accused of an unfolding genocide.

“It is Labor who is choosing a side when it comes to this conflict and unfortunately it’s not the side of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians who have been killed.”

The keffiyeh ban follows the closure of the public gallery in parliament after pro-Palestine supporters interrupted Treasurer Tim Pallas’ budget speech last week.