this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2025
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Dutch politician Esther Ouwehand was asked to remove her first shirt (Palestine flag), so she came back wearing another one of watermelon seeds.

see original post: https://techhub.social/@mahmoudoov/115232831501836545

#EstherOuwehand #gaza #palestine #genocide #StopGenocide #NeverStopTalkingAboutPalestine
@palestine@lemmy.ml @palestine@fedibird.com

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[–] DrBob@lemmy.ca 55 points 11 months ago (3 children)

What's the significance of watermelon seeds?

[–] platypode@sh.itjust.works 106 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Watermelon has been used as a plausibly deniable way to show support for Palestine since 1967 per Wikipedia, since it shares the same colors as the flag while being a completely common and innocuous item.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 11 months ago

I was not aware of this. Thank you kindly

[–] Birch@sh.itjust.works 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

TIL about watermelon 🍉 support

E: there ought to be a list of hidden meaning of various emojis

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 33 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Same colors as the one she was told to remove.

[–] Whostosay@sh.itjust.works 24 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Who asked her and under what authority?

This timeline is batshit insane

[–] HopFlop@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)

At least in Germany, and I imagine it would be similar in the Netherlands, it would be the parliament's president because political symbols on clothing are not allowed.

[–] mrdown@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

political symbols on clothing are not allowed

Not really. The Israeli flag has been raised over the German Bundestag building

[–] grindemup@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago (2 children)

You know that a building is not the same as clothing, right?

[–] mrdown@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Why does it matter on what the political symbol is?

[–] anzo@programming.dev 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Aww, you're so cute. Like the law would care about common sense instead of opressing minorities ;p

[–] HopFlop@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 10 months ago

Thats cute that you say opressing minorities because that decision (to put up the flag on that day) was made unanimously.

[–] hyacin@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Because you're talking about a law or rule - it is literally all about how it is written - people build entire careers on debating the interpretation of how they are written.

"No government employee can wear political symbols to work" is 100%, clearly and entirely not the same as "No political symbols may be shown anywhere on any government property"

Seriously?? A downvote?? You asked why it matters, I explained why it matters, jfc, leave the nasty Reddit behaviour on Reddit tyvm.

[–] HopFlop@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 10 months ago

Yeah because the Bundestag voted for it (unanimously btw)

[–] hyacin@lemmy.ml 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

political symbols on clothing are not allowed

Had some similar silliness in the Ontario provincial parliament in Canada when they decided a keffiyeh was a 'political symbol' or some such bs - they threw a member right out for refusing to take it off.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 5 points 10 months ago

IMO, it would be better if politicians were like Nascar drivers. At least it would be more honest.

[–] thymos@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 11 months ago

The speaker of the house asked her, but only when urged to by another member of parliament who reminded him that earlier this year, another member was asked to change the T-shirt he was wearing with a foetus on it during a debate about abortion. The rule is that the appearance of the parliament should be neutral.

By the way, because she was asked to change her clothes, the moment was aired in all talk shows that evening, with an explanation of the watermelon blouse she wore later (and which the speaker suggested she wore instead by the way), so this incident only helped to get her message out there.

[–] Sausa@beehaw.org 14 points 11 months ago

Watermelon is often used as a symbol of Palestinian resistance as it has the same colours as the flag: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon_as_a_Palestinian_symbol

[–] Auntievenim@lemmy.world 27 points 11 months ago

Ngl both shirts go hard

[–] Fancy_Gecko@lemmy.ml 23 points 11 months ago

freedom of speech

[–] BilboBargains@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago

Go Esther. The people who asked you to remove that flag don't want to be reminded that they are standing by while a genocide is underway.

[–] OrteilGenou@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago

Yep those are two different shirts all right

[–] SlartyBartFast@sh.itjust.works 13 points 11 months ago

Make it into politics and men are still pressuring you to take off your shirt

[–] spykee@lemmings.world 10 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Okay, I confess I now want more Esther in my life.
...and Esther changing into different tops....has now woken something in me.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] spykee@lemmings.world 1 points 10 months ago

As long as Esther is the poster ~~girl~~ babe, I'm fine with whatever new it is.

[–] Star@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 11 months ago

Where can I buy both of these? I love this

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 3 points 10 months ago

So many nazis. We need to make a list!