Australian Flag banned at the BDO

[Rosy]

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 who were refusing to kiss the flag.

I'd prefer to ask why not.  It's Australia Day, even though the organisers have apparently changed the date by a day to try and bypass the actual day it's still known as the Australia Day weekend.  It's great to show national pride.  Even houses fly Aussie flags on banners in their yards.

If idiots want to use the flag in an anti social manner deal with the person rather than prejudice those genuine patriots.

Interesting the comments attributed to Ken West, event organiser, I just read on the H/S website only mention the Australian flag.  Discrimination against our own country?  Unbelievable.  I hope it's just a case of selective journalism.

ORGANISERS of the Big Day Out want people to leave their Australian flags at home when they attend the giant concert in Sydney.

Music fans heading to the Homebush event had been warned any flag or bandanna featuring the national symbol would be confiscated at the gates.

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," Mr West said.

 

[FightingFury]

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.

You've taken my post out of its context haven't you!!

What would they think of having the flag banned at a public event is what I was musing, not what do they think of a Union Jack on the flag!!!
Can't imagine why you've deliberately embellished it to the extent you did snake.
FWIW I would'nt choose to have it either, but it is the flag of my nation which I have immense pride in,and whom i am forever grateful to be living in and enjoying after spending 4 years living abroad and experiencing first hand how many others don't have the fortune to enjoy life the way we have it here, so will accept  having a British relic in the flag as a consequence.
Read Remote Tigers post.....it made perfect sense to me.

 

[Tigers of Old]

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.

Ironic that this comment has a touch of prejudice in itself. :
There's boofheads of every race in every state Ready, or do you think they just reside in NSW?

 

[Legends of 2017]

I would assume from reading their website that they would have little or insufficient security at their event if this is perceived to be the biggest problem they are facing!
If there is bullying and intimidation as such, then kick the perpetrators out.

 

[feisty tige]

We are a country surrounded by water, we are basically getting heated up at ourselves (or visitors to this country).

Why do we need to shove our flag in anyones face? It is not like we have any other countries on our direct border (like other nations/countries do)

Calm down people.... please, all take a bex and lay down.

Just My Opinion.

Edit: I am not saying we shouldn't have the right to wave our flag, I just reckon we shouldn't be feral about it.

 

[Tigers of Old]

I would assume from reading their website that they would have little or insufficient security at their event if this is perceived to be the biggest problem they are facing!

If Australian youths turn up with flags in protest, it may yet be a big problem for them than they realise.

Why do we need to shove our flag in anyones face?

How is showing your pride in your country, our country, 'shoving' the flag in someone's face?

If that 'someone' takes offence to the colours of this country too bloody bad.

 

[Rosy]

Why do we need to shove our flag in anyones face? It is not like we have any other countries on our direct border (like other nations/countries do)

I don't understand how having an Australian flag is shoving it in anyone's face.  On occasion I still wear the yellow and green socks I was given at the Olympics, not to show anyone else, because I'm proud to wear the Aussie colours.  My friend's flag flying in their yard isn't intended to be in anyone's face.  It's a symbol of National pride.

Were there Aussie flags involved in the tennis fracas recently anyway?  If that incident is being used as an excuse to ban Australain flags I can think of two more prevalent ones that don't seem to be rating a mention by Mr West.

A Bex wouldn't fix the disgust I'd feel if the Australian Flag was banned.

 

[Liverpool]

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.

I disagree wholeheartedly.
No, I'm not saying Australians who don't drape themselves with the flag aren't supportive, but I do accuse Australians who drape themselves with another country's flag as being un-Australian and unsupportive of their country.

I think it's fantastic that Australians are showing more nationalism and pride in their country and its people, than they used to.
Hearing thousands of people sing the national anthem at sporting events makes the hair on the neck stand up....and seeing the younger generation wearing the flag and showing their colours, saying "I'm an Aussie, and proud of it!"....how is that lowering tolerance?
Hopefully more immigrants will get on the Aussie bandwagon.

You talk about lowering tolerance....but where is the tolerance from people like yourself towards the majority of Australians who do take pride in their flag and their country, and a right to wear/fly it, on Australia Day weekend, at an event?

Expreesing national pride on an occason such as an olympic gold is a bit differnet.

Why is it different?
So only Olympians and sportspeople are allowed to show national pride or support now? or?
And as for Cathy.....if she can dreape the flag over herself, why can't any other Australian.
What a prejudiced and hypocritical comment.

I'd prefer to ask why not. It's Australia Day, even though the organisers have apparently changed the date by a day to try and bypass the actual day it's still known as the Australia Day weekend. It's great to show national pride. Even houses fly Aussie flags on banners in their yards.

If idiots want to use the flag in an anti social manner deal with the person rather than prejudice those genuine patriots.

Interesting the comments attributed to Ken West, event organiser, I just read on the H/S website only mention the Australian flag. Discrimination against our own country? Unbelievable. I hope it's just a case of selective journalism.

I agree 100%, Rosy.

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.

Well, if this isn't a massive generalisation and discriminatory remark, I don't know what is.

I don't understand how having an Australian flag is shoving it in anyone's face. On occasion I still wear the yellow and green socks I was given at the Olympics, not to show anyone else, because I'm proud to wear the Aussie colours. My friend's flag flying in their yard isn't intended to be in anyone's face. It's a symbol of National pride.

Were there Aussie flags involved in the tennis fracas recently anyway? If that incident is being used as an excuse to ban Australain flags I can think of two more prevalent ones that don't seem to be rating a mention by Mr West.

A Bex wouldn't fix the disgust I'd feel if the Australian Flag was banned.

I 100% agree again, and about the tennis...it is something I remarked on in my first post.
One flag I did NOT see at the tennis biffo, was the Aussie one....yet we are not hearing Mr West condemn Serbian, Croatian, or Greek flags as "gang colours".

 

[Redford]

Wasn't there a campaign only a few years ago to try and get Australians to be more patriotic on Australia Day, and that part of that campaign involved a whole heap of suggestions, not the least of which was having an Australian flag flying outside your house !!!

The banning of the Australian flag at certain events, on Australia Day and in the damn country itself smacks of a beaurocracy that doesnt have the answers to what the real problem/s are.    

 

[Tigerfan]

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.

http://www.australian-news.com.au/The%20rise%20of%20Middle%20Eastern%20crime%20in%20Australia.pdf

 

[feisty tige]

Why do we need to shove our flag in anyones face? It is not like we have any other countries on our direct border (like other nations/countries do)

I don't understand how having an Australian flag is shoving it in anyone's face.  On occasion I still wear the yellow and green socks I was given at the Olympics, not to show anyone else, because I'm proud to wear the Aussie colours.  My friend's flag flying in their yard isn't intended to be in anyone's face.  It's a symbol of National pride.

Were there Aussie flags involved in the tennis fracas recently anyway?  If that incident is being used as an excuse to ban Australain flags I can think of two more prevalent ones that don't seem to be rating a mention by Mr West.

A Bex wouldn't fix the disgust I'd feel if the Australian Flag was banned.

Ah, I should clarify, the "shoving" people (like at the Cronulla riots) shoving flags in peoples faces or the burning type, being different to the being able to have your flag and wave it too, type of thing.

 

[Rosy]

Ah, I should clarify, the "shoving" people (like at the Cronulla riots) shoving flags in peoples faces or the burning type, being different to the being able to have your flag and wave it too, type of thing.

Yep agree there but it's not our flag that's the problem and the vast majority of decent people shouldn't be penalised because of a few yobbos who would probably behave the same, flag or no flag.

 

[tigersnake]

The banning of the Australian flag at certain events, on Australia Day and in the damn country itself smacks of a beaurocracy that doesnt have the answers to what the real problem/s are.    

Thats a good point.  Although I don't think its the bureaucracy, its our society.  Its a bit like banning booze in black communities rthaer than looking at the issues that have caused the alcohol dependency problems.

I'm with feisty tige.  Its all got ugly and over the top as far as I'm concerned.  I don't like any nationalism in any form, Aussie, Croat, yank, whatever, its excluding, alienating and causes wars.  Nationalism is putting your country before everything else no matter what, before family, justice, freedom, tolerance.  Look at every historical regime that was predominantly nationalist and it is not pretty.  Its about forcing everyone to fit a certain questionable mold of what our country is and represents.  Patriotism and pride in your country is different.  The reality is, in my humble experience, the vast majority of people I see draped in the flag are young males aged 15-25, and usually hanging around in groups drinking.

I don't think I've ever seen so many exclamation marks on a thread on PRE.

I've just been thinking about this some more, sorry I tend to do that sometime.  As I've said, in my experience the young blokes I see wearing the auusie flag as a cape seem to be young yobbos, often spoiing for a fight.  Now I don't necessarily have a problem with young yobbos, I was one myself and on their behaviour is harmless more often than not.  But it seems that when the dons the flag cape they suddenly have this wierd forcefield on that validates them in a wierd way, when they are actually just yobbos.  Dunno what my point is there.  All this flag-cape wearing seems to have come out of nowhere.  And I for one don't like it. (sorry forgot the exclamation marks) !!

 

[Redford]

Boy, I can see this thread going the full 9 yards…!

 

[tigersnake]

Rosy I look at it this way, re the 'gang colours' comment. If a large group of intoxitated young males draped in Aussie flag are wandering around a big event spoiling for a fight, they are a gang wearing clours, or, if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck....

Rather than say 'leave them alone its their right to wear the flag', or that to question their right to wear it is un australian (geez I hate that term). I'd prefer to say 'If you are acting like a violent bully and wearing the flag, you're degrading our nation' or, its un-Australian to wear the flag and act like a thug.

 

[Redford]

Rosy I look at it this way, re the 'gang colours' comment.  If a large group of intoxitated young males draped in Aussie flag are wandering around a big event spoiling for a fight, they are a gang wearing clours, or, if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck....

Rather than say 'leave them alone its their right to wear the flag', or that to question their right to wear it is un australian (geez I hate that term).  I'd prefer to say 'If you are acting like a violent bully and wearing the flag, you're degrading our nation'  or, its un-Australian to wear the flag and act like a thug.

Yeah, but that's no reason to ban the flag entirely ! Going by that logic, Richmond fans would be banned from wearing their colours every week !!! :hihi

Again, the flag is NOT the problem.

 

[poppa x]

Wearing the flag on Australia Day is little different to wearing the Richmond Colours on game day.  It makes a statement about who you are and what you believe in.

My country.  Love it or leave it.

 

[Rosy]

It's not the flag's problem if it's being used inappropriately.  Confiscate it if it is and deal with the person responsible.

I might be thinking of the wrong person's comments here ts, and I'm not presuming to know who you'd react, but after comments on the aboriginal protest thread in Melbourne I wonder how you'd feel waking up to the headlines Aboriginal Flag banned.

I simply don't understand why the Aussie flag has been singled out, and cited as an example of racial tension at the tennis.  If it's going to be one flag banned it has to be all flags, and I’m not a fan of playing into the yobbo’s hands by banning any of them.

I’m dead against or our right of freedom being restricted because of perceived problems that may or may not be an issue.  Where do you draw the line if you start banning the flag instead of addressing the problems?

Will it become illegal to wear our national colours or fly flags in our back yard?  How would it be determined which events were flag-worthy and which weren't?

I think Mr West's comments about the Australian Flag, with no mention of other flags, is extremely discriminatory and could possibly flare up more angst than if he concentrated on addressing the problems.  IF, in fact, there were any.

It makes me want to drape myself in an Aussie flag in protest.

 

[tigersnake]

My country.  Love it or leave it.

If only it were that simple.

I don't reckon that is what you're actually saying, you're saying 'love my version of my country, or leave it'.  I reckon your version would be different to mine.  Its my country too, but there are aspects of it that really dissapoint me.  

ps, great movie I'd recommend on this very topic is 'Born on the Fourth of July'.  I love that film.

 

[FightingFury]

We better ban the barmy army then.
Nationalists draped in Union Jacks and St George crosses hurling insults about convicts.......or just a cheeky harmless bunch of half pissed guys having fun??
I suppose its how thick skinned you are huh?

This decision is derisory....the arguements against it are pre-empting drunk agressive nationalists trouble making,why must it neccesarily be the case?
Its Australia day FFS a day of celebration of the freedoms we enjoy.....or should I say used to enjoy?? :thumbsdown