"Since Palestinians could not show and express their nationalism through flag raising, watermelon became a more subversive method because it used colors reminiscent of the Palestinian flag. The same logic can be applied to people using the inverted red triangle."
To:
Natalie Stechyson, Writer and Editor, CBC News
Nancy Waugh, Sr Manager, Journalistic Standards, CBC News
Dear Natalie Stechyson and Nancy Waugh,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concerns regarding your article: “What does the inverted red triangle used by some pro-Palestinian demonstrators symbolize?,” published on June 4.
While I understand that your article attempts to give background information on the symbolism of the Palestinian inverted triangle, which has been used and more commonly seen since Oct. 7, I take foremost issue with not explaining the role of censorship in Palestinians adopting symbols in the first place: the watermelon and the red triangle.
The watermelon has been adopted because Israel banned Palestinians from displaying their flag and the colors of the Palestinian flag: red, white, green, and black, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank from the Six-Day War in 1967 until the Oslo Accords in 1993. Israeli soldiers would also arrest any Palestinian who would display or raise the Palestinian flag.
Since Palestinians could not show and express their nationalism through flag raising, watermelon became a more subversive method because it used colors reminiscent of the Palestinian flag. The same logic can be applied to people using the inverted red triangle.
People are displaying the inverted red triangle and using the emoji on social media to bypass media censorship, such as “shadow banning,” especially when it has been proven that Meta platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, have been suppressing Palestinian voices. A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW): Meta’s Broken Promises Systemic Censorship of Palestine Content on Instagram and Facebook, has shed light on how “Meta’s policies and practices have been silencing voices in support of Palestine and Palestinian human rights on Instagram and Facebook.”
In this report, HRW details 1,050 instances of Instagram and Facebook taking down or deleting content posted by Palestinians and their supporters between October and November 2023.
I, therefore, ask that you mention censorship as a possible explanation behind Palestinians and their supporters adopting certain symbols to show solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
I hope CBC will add this critical piece of context and consider my suggestion in future reporting on Palestinian symbols and actions in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East