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Vancouver Public Library staff banned from wearing watermelon pins to show support for Palestine

vancouversun
Summary
Nutrition label

70% Informative

Vancouver Public Library's chief executive fielded questions from staff about wearing watermelon pins.

Staff were asked about what kinds of political symbols were allowed on the job and which were banned.

The watermelon symbol, with the same red-green-black colour scheme as the Palestinian flag, has become the subject of controversy in several workplaces.

The library should be welcome to everyone in the community, the chief librarian said.

One librarian forwarded the complaint to the VPL ’s information services supervisor group.

The union representing library workers has raised its own concerns.

CUPE Local 391 president Amir Abbey said the employer had used “an arbitrary and punitive approach towards staff who were wearing symbols representing the Palestinian cause”.

VR Score

68

Informative language

63

Neutral language

79

Article tone

semi-formal

Language

English

Language complexity

61

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

External references

11

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