At least 14 workers of the Noguchi Museum in New York City, including all nine front-facing staff, are participated in a work stoppage on Wednesday, August 21, in protest of a policy that prohibits employees from wearing the Palestinian headscarves known as keffiyehs.
Last week, over 50 workers — more than two-thirds of the museum’s 72-person staff — signed an internal petition calling for the policy to be reversed, citing the anti-Palestinian sentiment of the decision amid Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza as well as concerns over potential damage to the museum’s reputation and credibility.
“Our Astoria community is incredibly diverse, and features a high population of Palestinians,” reads the petition text, which Hyperallergic reviewed. “Banning the keffiyeh, a culturally significant garment, sets a strong precedent for the institution.”
