| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Down Under | |
| Australian concert flag ban sparks anger | |
| 2007-01-22 | |
| CANBERRA - Fears of race clashes on Monday led organisers of Australia’s biggest outdoor rock concert to bar fans from carrying the national flag, sparking a furious reaction from the country’s prime minister and war veterans. After fights between ethnic Croatian and Serbian fans outside the Australian Open tennis tournament last week and 2005 race clashes on Sydney’s beaches, Big Day Out concert organisers said Australia’s flag was a “gang colour” which could incite hatred. “It was racism disguised as patriotism and I’m not going to tolerate it,” event producer Ken West told Australian newspapers. The concert Web site said the flag was not banned outright, but security staff were “discouraging its use”.
West said he was disturbed at last week’s Melbourne tennis clashes and race riots on Sydney’s Cronulla Beach just over a year ago in which some rioters draped flags across their shoulders. “The Australian flag was being used as gang colours,” he said. The usual staging of the concert on the Jan. 26 Australia Day national holiday had already been moved forward one day to avoid any nationalist fervour. Prime Minister John Howard, whose government has demanded new migrants to respect vague Australian values such as ”mateship” and “fair go” for all, condemned the flag prohibition. “The event organisers should not ram their peculiar political views down the throats of young Australians who are only interested in a good day out,” Howard said. Don Rowe, president of the RSL veterans group in New South Wales state, said organisers were trying to bar a symbol first adopted in 1901 and which had served through two world wars. “Using the Cronulla riots as an excuse to outlaw it is an absolute bloody outrage,” Rowe told local newspapers. The row came after claims this month by one of Australia’s top Muslim clerics that Muslim Australians had more right to the country than white people descended from convict settlers. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #11 Once a jolly swagman camped beside a billabong under the shade of a koolaba tree, and he sang as he watched and waited while his billy boiled, 'You'll come a waltzin Matilda with me'. Arr, ole memories from me days before the mast. Have at 'em mates, let no ragheads a standin. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-01-22 20:37 |
| #10 Big Day Out concert organisers said Australia’s flag was a “gang colour” which could incite hatred. The same could be said of mozzie headscarves and other islamic attire, which is indicative of hatred and repression of non-mozzies. |
| Posted by: Kev Kaffer 2007-01-22 20:32 |
| #9 Did we miss this little tidbit ? I hope it involved some severe Muz thrashing. Just some Serbs and Croats confusing the Australian Open with the Country Formerly Known As Yugoslavia. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2007-01-22 20:12 |
| #8 This sort of thing could happen in the U.S. I could see the Dixie Chicks trying to pull a stunt like this. Not to quibble with ya, Doc, but... 1. That would imply someone's attending a Dixie Chix concert 2. Assuming you find someone to voluntarily attend a DC concert, these days that type would be bringing Old Glory along to set it on fire. |
| Posted by: Dreadnought 2007-01-22 15:03 |
| #7 Disintegration of the Weimar Republic in 4... 3... 2... |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-01-22 11:12 |
| #6 Big Day Out concert organisers said Australia’s flag was a “gang colour” which could incite hatred. WTF??? Your very own country's flag is a "gang colour"?!? Seems like the systematic educating out of partiotism & nationalism in the sweaty masses by the Enlightened Elites has been very successful not only in Europe. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2007-01-22 05:29 |
| #5 No Howard, the time for "Get yer flags out" has already passed, its "get your guns out" time. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-01-22 05:21 |
| #4 If, as in Britain, you have a significant immigrant minority who brag that the flag of Islam will be the flag of the country in the near future are you really surprised that naturalised citizens also use their flag as a symbol? F8ck muslim sensibilities - they don't give tuppence about anyone else. Get yer flags out. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2007-01-22 03:59 |
| #3 Where can I get a bet down on the inevitable melee? |
| Posted by: Cleting Omolumble1160 2007-01-22 02:07 |
| #2 Jan. 26 Australia Day Remind me to cook up the hinder leg of 'em jolly jumbuck. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-01-22 01:53 |
| #1 "last weekÂ’s Melbourne tennis clashes" Did we miss this little tidbit ? I hope it involved some severe Muz thrashing. |
| Posted by: SpecOp35 2007-01-22 00:44 |