REGINA - A planned raising of the Palestine flag outside Regina City Hall is a no go.
A statement has been issued from the City of Regina on Thursday afternoon which reads: "At the direction of Mayor Sandra Masters, the flag raising and ceremony for Palestine that had been planned for tomorrow, Friday November 15, will not proceed."
The directive from the mayor comes one day after Masters was defeated in the municipal election by Chad Buchynski. She officially turns over the mayor's chair to Bachynski on Monday when the new council is sworn in.
The "flag raising for Palestine" had previously been scheduled to coincide with the day that recognizes the Palestinian Declaration of Independence. Had it proceeded, Regina would have been the first city in the country to host such a ceremony to raise the Palestine flag outside City Hall.
According to the news release from organizers when they announced the event: "The flag-raising is a signal of solidarity with the Palestinian people and their ongoing struggle for survival and self-determination amidst Israel’s 13-month-long genocide, which has left hundreds of thousands of Palestinians dead and wounded. The State of Palestine, which has been illegally occupied by Israel since 1967, is recognized by 146 of 193 member states of the United Nations – a number that has been growing since Israel’s genocide began in October 2023.
"The ceremony is open to the public, and highlights Regina’s role in standing up for justice and human rights globally. We invite the media and the public to join us in this moment of solidarity."
But the flag raising came under heavy criticism from opponents, especially on social media, who said it supported terrorism.
A screenshot has made the rounds of social media in which Councillor Andrew Stevens responded to an email about the flag raising. Stevens had replied that "the City raised the Israeli flag, so it's only fair (and in accordance with City policy) to allow for the Palestinian flag to be raised on the day that recognizes the Palestinian Declaration of Independence."
In fact the flag policy at Regina City Hall, and what it ought to be going forward, has been a hot issue for a while.
At City Hall on Thursday, City Clerk Jim Nicol was asked about the Palestine flag raising event. In his response, Nicol also pointed to the raising of the Israel flag as a particular flashpoint.
"This kind of arose in May, when the Israeli flag went up, and there was discussion, consternation, criticism, et cetera," Nicol said. He noted that at the time a couple of councillors had put forward a motion to change the flag policy.
"It was debated at Council. They (council members) really weren't wild about that approach. They directed me to prepare something. I prepared a report that went to Council in September that said, respectfully, I would recommend, it was recommended that the six flags that are outside of City Hall in the courtyard, Canada, Saskatchewan, the Union Jack, Regina, Treaty 4, and Metis, which are also the six flags that are replicated in the Council chambers, there's also those same six up in the Mayor's office, that those be the only flags flown on a permanent basis."
His recommendation had also stated that "the ceremonial flagpole only be used going forward to promote charitable or non-profit organizations, you know, the Red Cross, the Girl Guides, those kind of things.
"We would no longer promote or fly any kind of nation, state, country, group like that. The only exception, of course, that we made, and I think it was a good one, was if an accredited ambassador from a country is coming to City Hall, not just to Regina, but actually coming to City Hall to see the Mayor or Council, we would also, out of respect, fly that country's flag on the ceremonial pole."
That recommendation was put forward but "got tabled at two meetings, I believe, and so it's coming back. I believe there is interest in coming back. I know that for sure, because one of the returning Councillors was one of the sponsors on it. So we'll see where that goes, but that's where we stand."
Nicol was referring to Shanon Zachidniak, the Ward 8 councillor who co-sponsored the flag motion and who was re-elected on Wednesday.
Nicol added that administration had made the recommendation to council regarding the flags to "clarify and avoid these unfortunate circumstances, and because of the tabling, we sit here today where we are."
