Activists Stage Silent Protest Against Keffiyeh Ban at Noguchi Museum Gala
**Silent Protest at Noguchi Museum’s Gala Over Keffiyeh Ban Stirs Controversy**
During the Noguchi Museum’s annual benefit gala on October 29th, a group of 12 activists staged a silent protest to denounce the museum’s recent ban on the **keffiyeh**, a traditional Middle Eastern scarf, which has sparked heated debate. Implemented in August, the ban prohibits employees from wearing politically symbolic attire, citing concerns that such items could make visitors feel “unsafe” or “uncomfortable.” Since then, multiple staff members have opposed the policy, and **four employees were dismissed** for defying the rule.
The Wednesday protest coincided with the gala, an event focused on celebrating the work of Japanese American artist **Isamu Noguchi** and honoring individuals who reflect Noguchi’s creative spirit. This year, South Korean artist **Lee Ufan** and acclaimed author **Jhumpa Lahiri** were selected for the Isamu Noguchi Award. However, in a show of solidarity with the ousted staff, **Lahiri rejected the prize** in response to the keffiyeh ban, leaving Lee Ufan as the event’s sole honoree.
### **The Protest: Silent but Powerful**
Dressed in all black, the protestors wore **pantomime masks** in a symbolic gesture of silence, with the name “Noguchi” taped over their mouths and keffiyehs draped around their necks. They also handed out **mock pamphlets**, mimicking the evening’s official program but instead filled with information on the ban and the museum’s firing of the four employees. The pamphlets also included criticisms of top museum officials, namely **Director Amy Hau** and Board Co-Chairs **Spencer Bailey** and **Susan Kessler**, accusing them of “banning cultural expression” and “institutional control.”
While the demonstrators remained peaceful throughout the three-hour event, their activism did not go unnoticed. They used **projectors to beam messages** onto the museum’s brick walls—phrases like “**Keffiyeh Banned Here**,” “Culture Banned Here,” and “Is This How You Honor Noguchi, Amy?” glowed against the building’s exterior for around 30 minutes before museum security intervened.
### **The Museum’s Response: Police, Security, and Employee Tensions**
In response to the protest, it has been reported that the **museum called the police**, who arrived to assess the situation. Though the demonstrators were ultimately allowed to continue, claims of minor aggression from museum security have further deepened the schism between museum management and many of its staff.
The Noguchi Museum is currently facing significant internal resistance to the keffiyeh policy. A majority of the museum’s staff—over **50 of the 72 workers**—have signed a petition urging leadership to reverse the ban, arguing that the keffiyeh carries cultural significance beyond its political associations. Supporters of the petition believe that prohibiting such an item sets a dangerous precedent for curtailing **cultural expression** within an artistic institution.
One of the fired employees, **Trasonia Abbott**, who was let go shortly after the ban was enacted, reflected on the silent protest, calling it an artistic and thoughtful gesture. Abbott criticized the actions of the museum’s leadership, saying the institution’s ongoing stance on the keffiyeh issue reflects “**genocide denial** and **racism**.”
In a broader critique, Abbott remarked, “It’s a small museum. They don’t have to act like this,” pointing to Noguchi’s legacy of inclusion and innovation, which many feel has now been called into question by the current administration.
### **Cultural Politics and Institutional Challenges**
The keffiyeh, often seen as a symbol of Palestinian nationalism but also widely worn as an item of **cultural heritage** across the Middle East and North Africa, has sparked conflicting views about its place in an apolitical or professional environment. While the museum has argued that its policy aims to create a neutral space that is safe for all visitors, critics are calling it an **overreach of control** that specifically targets marginalized cultural expressions.
The actions of both the activists at the gala and **Jhumpa Lahiri’s rejection of the award** shed light on how this issue has polarized the museum community, leading to broader questions about freedom of expression in museums and the role of cultural identity within artistic institutions.
Museum leadership has yet to publicly address the growing chorus of criticism, although they may find it harder to maintain the status quo with such public demonstrations. A spokesperson for the Noguchi Museum did not provide comment at the time of writing, and it remains to be seen how they will navigate the escalating tensions.
### **The Bigger Picture**
This incident at the Noguchi Museum is not just a local administrative controversy—it reflects wider concerns in the global arts community over the role of **