he Noguchi Museum in New York City has reportedly fired three workers for wearing a keffiyeh, the Arab scarf that has become a symbol of support for the Palestinian resistance and opposition to the genocide being perpetrated by the Zionist state in Gaza.
“My colleagues and I were fired on September 4th for wearing our keffiyehs. The Noguchi Museum management fired us because they didn’t want to see any symbol of Palestinian culture or solidarity with them,” said Natalie Cappellini.
Months earlier, several workers at this world-renowned museum, which is located in the Queens district, had agreed to wear the keffiyeh in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
However, in August, the authorities at this cultural institution banned the use of any clothing or accessory that expressed a political message, slogan, or symbol, claiming that it could alienate some visitors.
The museum showcases the works of Isamu Noguchi, a sculptor and designer who identified as anti-fascist and voluntarily interned himself in a Japanese-American internment camp in Arizona during World War II with the intent of helping the other prisoners.
Because of this, dozens of museum workers protested against the ban on political symbols, chanting slogans in Japanese like “Free Palestine, From the River to the Sea,” and “Noguchi Was Anti-Fascist.”
Additionally, about 50 employees signed a petition against the new dress code: “The museum has made no statement about the war in Gaza, but with the decision to ban the keffiyeh, it is already taking a political stance,” the petition stated.
