The Palestinian flag will be raised at Calgary City Hall on November 30, to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, according to the City of Calgary.
In a post on ‘X’, the Palestinian Community Association in Calgary wrote, “From Turtle Island to Palestine, the Palestinian Community Association of Calgary welcomes the Calgary community to join us in raising the Palestinian Flag at Calgary City Hall. As the first flag-raising for Palestine to be held in Calgary, Alberta, we are honoured to share this moment with our wider community and cultivate a shared message of justice, peace and solidarity.”
“For years we have waved our flags at City Hall, rallying against injustice, occupation and genocide. On November 30, at 9:30 AM, we will raise the flag above these grounds. The flag has deep meaning and symbolizes identity, history and resistance.”
This comes after Canada, along with the United Kingdom and Australia formally recognized Palestine on Sept. 21, 2025, “to protect the viability of a two-state solution and create a path towards lasting peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people.”
The flag raising will not come without controversy.
The city has rules for what flags can be raised at Municipal Plaza, which it says includes (among others) “Temporary (one-day) flag raisings of flags of nations on their national day (recognizing Calgary’s ethnic and cultural diversity), provided they are “official flags recognized by the federal government.”
According to the city, flags that cannot be raised include: Flags of nations with which Canada does not have diplomatic relations; flags which may be considered controversial or divisive; flags of organizations whose undertakings or philosophy espouse violence, hatred or racism, or are contrary to city bylaws or policies, and flags of commercial, religious or partisan nature (i.e., purely political party flags, for example).
Requests to have flags raised are evaluated and approved by city staff when they meet policy criteria, not at the city council.
In the case of raising the Palestinian flag, the city’s policies against flags that are ‘controversial or divisive’ and “are associated with partisan, political, or advocacy activities” must be considered.
Obviously, the Palestinian flag is closely tied to the Israeli/Hamas war in Gaza, with pro- and anti-Palestinian rallies and protests taking place all over the world, including in Calgary last month. Emotions are running high and rationality thrown out the window.
Even if the rallies are initially designed to promote culture, they can and have turned violently political, and there is no reason to believe the potential for violence is high at Municipal Plaza on November 30.
With all due respect to the Palestinian Community Association of Calgary, the City of Calgary administration, and Calgary city council if necessary, can reasonably believe the rally will be politically charged, and cancel the event.
