Left Party MP Cansin Köktürk was thrown out of a German parliament plenary chamber on Wednesday for wearing a t-shirt with the word “Palestine” printed on it, a move deemed a political statement by the parliamentary leadership.
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner intervened during the session, reminding MPs that political messages on clothing are not permitted in the chamber.
While the Bundestag does not have a detailed dress code, its rules require MPs and visitors to dress “in keeping with the prestige” of the institution. Enforcement of this standard is left to the discretion of the session chair.
Sure, but in this case that has nothing to do with that. In the past a politician was removed for wearing a t-shirts that was protesting a train station. Political statements on clothing are just not allowed in general.
“Palestine” is a political statement? I thought it was a geographical region. I mean “Free Palestine” yes. But just the word “Palestine” on its own?
Yeah, for everyone that can put 2 and 2 together it is.
In the same way that protesting with a blank sheet of paper in Russia is politically dangerous and illegal.
It’s only political to the extent that it exposes German hypocrisy.
Nope, it’s just the dresscode being enforced as it always has been.
So, there is no actual rule that she actually broke, unless we interpret the word “Palestine” to be not in keeping with the prestige of the Budestag. Are other country names or geographical regions also not in keeping with the prestige of the Bundestag? Like, when I visit can I not wear a shirt that says “Greece” on it? Or that says “Quebec” or “Antarctica”? Or is this is a special rule for country names that butthurt Germany’s “staatsraison”?