Hamilton’s independent MPP Sarah Jama has been ejected from the Ontario legislature for defying the keffiyeh ban.

Speaker Ted Arnott asked Jama to leave Ontario’s Legislative Assembly Thursday because she was wearing a keffiyeh, a checkered scarf that has come to symbolize solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war.

After the ejection, Jama told reporters she will continue to don the keffiyeh moving forward.

“It’s not that I think the rules don’t apply to me, I think the rules don’t apply to many people who have worn clothing around supporting Ukraine… and nothing occurred so I think the rules are arbitrarily applied,” she said.

“Absolutely, I’ll be back,” Jama said.

Several of Jama’s former NDP-affiliated colleagues were quick to denounce the move on social media.

Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles called the situation “appalling.”

“The Premier and this government are sending a strong message to Arab, Muslim, Palestinians in our province,” she said, adding “that they are not welcome here at Queen’s Park,” she said.

After Thursday’s sitting, questions loom on how the speaker will respond if the ban continues to be ignored.

“That’s a question for the speaker about how he is going to proceed but it’s the government that has continued to uphold this ban and I still maintain they need to do the right thing,” said Stiles.

Speaker Ted Arnott said today he does not know what will happen if Jama continues to ignore the order and said they will resume sitting two weeks from now but he is not prepared to use force to remove Jama if she defied his order.

Arnott said that procedures will follow daily, if Jama breaks the rule, she will be called to order. Then, Jama will be warned and named deeming her ineligible to vote and take part in committee meetings for the remainder of the session.