A motion to end the practice of raising the flags of other nations at Calgary city hall narrowly passed during Monday’s council meeting.

The motion to amend the city’s existing flag policy was put forward by Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean, who said its intention was to end the sowing of division and bring council’s focus back to delivering services for Calgarians.

“What was once intended to be a unifying and symbolic gesture has over time increasingly become a source of division within our community,” he said.

“When city hall becomes a venue for geopolitical expressions, it places the city in the middle of conflicts that are well beyond our municipal mandates.”

A motion to ban raising national flags was defeated in a tight vote last month, just days after the Palestinian flag was hoisted to mark Palestinian Declaration of Independence, an event that was approved under the previous council.