Dutch parliamentarian Esther Ouwehand was asked to change her clothes after she appeared at Thursday's debate on the state budget wearing the Palestinian flag as an outfit.
Parliament Speaker Martin Bosma interrupted her speech, saying it is "offensive that you are standing here with that flag," before asking her to change clothes and return.
Ouwehand rebutted that she wants to deliver her speech without changing clothes, and did not see in the rules that she cannot wear a dress with the colors red, green, white, and black.
However, she was eventually pressured to leave the session and changed her outfit, returning in a printed watermelon-themed shirt, a symbol widely associated with Palestinian solidarity on social media.
Parliament officials clarified that the venue must remain neutral and that displaying political symbols violates the code of conduct.
"While the King addresses our country, a genocide is taking place in Gaza. Children, families, and journalists are being starved and murdered. All eyes must be on Gaza," Ouwehand wrote on X/Twitter.
On Wednesday, Ouwehand wrote on X that she believes the ruling People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) is avoiding the word "genocide" when discussing Gaza, and alleged that VVD does not want to help wounded Palestinian children be treated in Dutch hospitals.
She also alleged that VVD is blocking every measure to prevent genocide.