Australian Flag banned at the BDO | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Australian Flag banned at the BDO

Jul 26, 2004
78,241
38,240
www.redbubble.com
A 'gang' colour apparently. ???
Australian's aren't allowed to fly the Australian flag at an Australian event.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21095538-2,00.html

I don't usually get worked up about such things but to pardon the french this is absolutely *smile* ridiculous. :fire

Political correctness has gone mad.
 

Chelsea

Tiger Rookie
Mar 28, 2005
260
2
Cancel the BDO concert.
It's a poor state of affairs when our own flag is banned in our own country.Maybe they should be looking at banning all the foreign flags at the tennis etc? Friends in the U.S. tried to fly the Aussie flag there, and they were told to take it down. They obviously don't tolerate foreign flags, so why should we?
 

Legends of 2017

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!
Mar 24, 2005
6,703
6,168
Melbourne
Interesting that on their website, only the Australian flag is 'encouraged' not to be shown. I assume other countries flags are ok to be displayed? Such as croatian and/or serbian?

Edit: Re-reading their website, it could be said they are discouraging all flags.
"Contrary to the reports in the media, it was never our intention to disrespect the symbolism of the Australian or any other flag. "

"...organisers would like to request that fans please leave their flags at home."
 

Ready

The future is unwritten
Aug 21, 2004
4,791
0
Richmond Vic 3121
Note that this is in Sydney... perhaps some need reacquainting with last summer's pictures of youths draped in Australian flags kicking seven shades out of anyone they took to be of Lebanese origin.
 

Liverpool

How did that Julia and Kevin thing work out? :)
Jan 24, 2005
9,054
1
Melbourne
Ready said:
Note that this is in Sydney... perhaps some need reacquainting with last summer's pictures of youths draped in Australian flags kicking seven shades out of anyone they took to be of Lebanese origin.

But why re-ignite this issue again?
It happened over a year ago, and was it the flag's fault?
Of course not!
The Cronulla Riot had nothing to do with the flag itself, but rather people who were fed-up with Lebanese gangs disrespecting Australians, and then these people got fuelled-up with alcohol and went on a hunt for people looking like a Lebanese.
For the organisers of Big Day Out to liken the Australian flag, OUR national flag and OUR symbol, to "gang colours" is a soft reason to hide their obvious dislike to anything Australian.

Secondly, "The Age" writes this:

Event organiser Ken West was quoted as saying fans' behaviour last year in the wake of the Cronulla riots and the recent ethnic violence at the Australian Open tennis tournament had forced his hand.
"The Australian flag was being used as gang colours. It was racism disguised as patriotism and I'm not going to tolerate it,'' the newspaper quoted Mr West saying.


Well Mr. West....how many Australian flags were present during the biffo at the tennis the other day?
I saw so-called 'Australians' wearing Greek, Croat, and Serb flags....yet they are not mentioned as 'gang colours'? why aren't they being banned as well at the Big Day Out?
Where are all the civil-libertarians who are usually very quick to cry out "racism", "discrimination" or "bigotry".....well, I am deafened by their silence this morning.
The Big Day Out organisers are discriminating against a race of people, aren't they? isn't this prejudice?

Thirdly, if all of us here are Australians, and the Australian flag represents gang-colours....then aren't we all part of the same gang?

The Age goes on to say:

But organisers today said Mr West had been misinterpreted

:cutelaugh.....he obviously uses the same spin-doctor as our fellow 'Australian', Sheik Hilaly...and has the same dislike of anything Australian as well.

The event tours six cities in Australia and New Zealand but the ban will only affect Sydney, where the festival has been shifted to the day before its usual Australia Day date to avoid nationalistic overtones.

Why is being an Australian, and proud of being an Australian, frowned upon by the Big Day Out organisers?
They shift the date to 'avoid nationalistic overtones', and then proceed to ban/confiscate Australian flags at the event itself.
What country are we living in here???  ???

And where to now?
Poor Freddy Flintoff feels a bit intimidated fielding at third-man....and a big Aussie wearing an Aussie flag as a cape, says something over the fence to him.
Let's ban the Aussie flag at the cricket next... ::)

The whole thing is just a farce, a disgrace, and if the anti-discrimination board have any balls, they'll take them to court for discriminating against a race of people, by singling out Australian flags, and not all flags, as a banned item.

No other country would tolerate their national flag being banned anywhere, and it just shows you how low this country is sinking when such things like this occur.
 

Tigerfan

Roar Power
Apr 28, 2004
26,631
2,039
Gold Coast (SE - QLD).
The times they are a changing in this country and our leaders haven't got the slightest idea what to do about it.

Confidence...None.

I might emmigrate to Canada.
 

outcast

Tiger Rookie
Mar 9, 2006
219
0
Even though it is a silly decision the carry on we will no doubt see over the next few days will be worse
 

tigersnake

Tear 'em apart
Sep 10, 2003
23,481
11,628
Since the Hanson era we've seen the rise of morons wandering around any gig evant you care to name draped in a big flag cape.  To me its ugly over the top nationalism.  This is quite apart from the fact I'm a republican and I'm embarrased by the Union Jack being on the flag of my country, different issue.  (I went up to a bloke draped in a flag at the Gabba for the ashes and said, 'very sporting of you mate, 2 flags for the price of one, make the poms feel at home'.

Another thing, I've worked at a few Gold Coast BDOs, the amount of shirtless, brain dead, 6 ft 4, muscled-up surfies on chrystal meth draped in Crazy Clarks Aussie flags is a bit scary.
 

Liverpool

How did that Julia and Kevin thing work out? :)
Jan 24, 2005
9,054
1
Melbourne
tigersnake said:
Since the Hanson era we've seen the rise of morons wandering around any gig evant you care to name draped in a big flag cape.  To me its ugly over the top nationalism.

Whoooa there!  :mad:
So because you show some actual pride, or want to wear the flag of your country, to show support....you're classed as a *smile* and portaying "ugly over the top nationalism"?

First of all, why are you labelling an Australian who is wearing their flag as a moron?
Secondly, what is so ugly or over the top about that?

I guess taking this logic on board, you find Cathy Freeman to be a moron for draping herself with the Aboriginal flag after winning her Olympic gold medal then?
What an ugly over the top performance that was, eh?

tigersnake said:
Another thing, I've worked at a few Gold Coast BDOs, the amount of shirtless, brain dead, 6 ft 4, muscled-up surfies on chrystal meth draped in Crazy Clarks Aussie flags is a bit scary.

What's that got to do with the flag?
Maybe the organisers, instead of banning the flag, should be banning shirtless, brain dead 6'4", muscled-up surfies on crystal meth?
They'll still be acting the same at the BDO, whether they wear our national flag or not, right?
 

tigersnake

Tear 'em apart
Sep 10, 2003
23,481
11,628
People never used to drape themselves in flags, its a new phenomenon. Are you saying that people who don't do it aren'tsupportive of their country? To me its a sign of rising nationalism and lowering toerance. I'm sure you'll disagree with me on the Liverpool, thats you preoragative.

Expreesing national pride on an occason such as an olympic gold is a bit differnet.
We could debate the subtleties of that one all day, but I fear we would get nowhere.

On the second point, yes, that is a top idea, because you'd kill 2 birds with the one stone. As they are the primary demographic that drapes themselves in flags, problem solved.
 

FightingFury

Its back to Brooke time again!
Nov 25, 2003
6,488
2
Richmond
I guess all our ANZAC soldiers would be proud of the state of things now(if alive to see it) wouldn't they.
Our national flag banned at a public event.

Good lord.........
 

Redford

Tiger Legend
Dec 18, 2002
34,360
26,207
Tel Aviv
Australians wont stand for this sort of bullsh*t.

What's next ? Are we gonna be banned from flying flags at sporting events, or is there gonna be some vague, application of the rules regarding when and where you can carry an Australian flag with you ?

I've never heard so much garbage in my life.
 

RemoteTiger

Woof!
Jul 29, 2004
4,646
98
What is wrong with having pride in your country? - what is wrong with being nationalistic?

Surely all of us are decendents of people who immigrated here - those immigrants put down a foundation and built a life and all of them wanted to call Australia home - along come their offspring who want to open up old wounds of conflicts that occur(ed) half way around the other side of the world so as to be seen. Who want to impose their standards on an Australian way of life that has been here for the best part of two centuries. Yet when you ask these people, drapped in other country's flags and having a destablising influence on our society, for their passports - yes they produce an Australian passport because they were born here!

Why is it that those who want to instigate wars, aggression etc. have never been in the middle of a theatre of war?

Our flag as it is - IMO is sancrosanct and if people wish to burn it, deface it or ban it then they should feel the full force of the law?

For *smile* sake "we stand today because some of our countrymen/women fell in yesteryears" and they fell fighting for our freedom and rights under the Australian Flag.

Is this the country they died for - wonder what they would say about that if they were able to speak today!

PS I don't like the union jack in our flag either but I have 1 vote out of 12 to 13 million on the issue - would much prefer the Southern Cross on its own - or with maybe the Eureka Stockade flag or even the aboriginal flag in place of the union jack........RT
 

Rosy

Tiger Legend
Mar 27, 2003
54,348
31
struggletown3121 said:
I guess all our ANZAC soldiers would be proud of the state of things now(if alive to see it) wouldn't they.
Our national flag banned at a public event.

Good lord.........

Ditto.  I haven't heard the facts or reasoning about banning OUR national flag but, if it's in fact true, it's a very sad day for Australia losing freedom so many gave their lives and fought for. Disgraceful! :mad:

110133388498Pi6A.jpg
 

mb64

Tiger Legend
Jul 26, 2004
29,650
83
Melbourne
Redford said:
Australians wont stand for this sort of bullsh*t.

What's next ? Are we gonna be banned from flying flags at sporting events, or is there gonna be some vague, application of the rules regarding when and where you can carry an Australian flag with you ?

I've never heard so much garbage in my life.
Soon we won't be able to refer to our country as Australia.
 

FightingFury

Its back to Brooke time again!
Nov 25, 2003
6,488
2
Richmond
RemoteTiger said:
What is wrong with having pride in your country? - what is wrong with being nationalistic?

Surely all of us are decendents of people who immigrated here - those immigrants put down a foundation and built a life and all of them wanted to call Australia home - along come their offspring who want to open up old wounds of conflicts that occur(ed) half way around the other side of the world so as to be seen. Who want to impose their standards on an Australian way of life that has been here for the best part of two centuries. Yet when you ask these people, drapped in other country's flags and having a destablising influence on our society, for their passports - yes they produce an Australian passport because they were born here!

Why is it that those who want to instigate wars, aggression etc. have never been in the middle of a theatre of war?

Our flag as it is - IMO is sancrosanct and if people wish to burn it, deface it or ban it then they should feel the full force of the law?

For *smile* sake "we stand today because some of our countrymen/women fell in yesteryears" and they fell fighting for our freedom and rights under the Australian Flag.

Is this the country they died for - wonder what they would say about that if they were able to speak today!

PS I don't like the union jack in our flag either but I have 1 vote out of 12 to 13 million on the issue - would much prefer the Southern Cross on its own - or with maybe the Eureka Stockade flag or even the aboriginal flag in place of the union jack........RT

Awesome and well written post RT.
 

tigersnake

Tear 'em apart
Sep 10, 2003
23,481
11,628
I come from a long line of ratbag Irish republicans, 2 generations of which fought in the WWs.  Like me, They didn't like the top left hand corner section of the flag, but they loved their country.  So I can tell what those particular ANZACs would think.

With all this hysterical carry-on, you've got to ask, why wear an aussie flag to a music festival?  At a sporting event I can understand it, don't like it much but I can understand it.  Last year there were some enlightened crew in sydney who were beating people up at the BDO who were refusing to kiss the flag.

"soon we won't be able to refer to this country as Australia' what an overblown pile of horsesh!t.