The City of Toronto approved a request from a non-profit to fly the Palestine flag at City Hall on Nov. 17 for the first time.

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians requested the flag raising to recognize State of Palestine Independence Day, which takes place on Nov. 15.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s press secretary, Braman Thillainathan, said in an emailed statement tthat the flag raising was approved by the city’s protocol office, not city council or the mayor.

“City Council provided the Protocol Office authority to manage the public flagpole booking process in 1999,” Thillainathan said Monday.

A city spokesperson told CBC Toronto Monday that just because the city is raising the flag, it doesn’t mean the city supports the cause.

“The use of the City’s courtesy flagpole

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