Vietnamese flag at Ottawa City Hall angers protesters

More diaspora politics. But if we recognize the country, and have diplomatic relations, hard for a municipal government to have any other policy but the current one of basing it on diplomatic recognition:

“The flag of the communist regime being flown here today is something that represents a government that denies human rights,” said Kalvin Nhan of Canadian Youth for Human Rights in Vietnam, which organized the protest.

“We don’t believe that it should be flown side by side with the Canadian flag, something that represents freedom and hope.”

…. Under city policy, any country with which Canada has diplomatic relations is invited to provide the city’s protocol office with a flag to fly outside city hall on that country’s national day. The city defers to the Department of Foreign Affairs on which flags the Canadian government recognizes.

“Right now the policy that we apply is we will fly the flag of any nation that is recognized by the Government of Canada,” said Cathy Bowles, the city’s chief of protocol. “It’s a practice that has continued over the years to recognize our diverse population, and to recognize the number of embassies that make Ottawa their home.”

Bowles said Tuesday’s controversy was “unexpected” because this is the eighth year the flag has flown at city hall. “We have flown it since 2006, and this is the first year that we’ve experienced resistance.”

Nothing that prevents members of diasporas from protesting what the flag represents to  them.

Vietnamese flag at City Hall angers protesters | Ottawa Citizen.