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Big Day Out - No Aussie flag 'Ban'
by Elliot K - Perth Indymedia	2007-01-22 11:26 AM +0900
January 22, 2007 Big Day Out says it hasn't banned Australian flag Right wing aussie patriots are frothing at the mouth with the news that the Big Day Out are "discouraging" flag-wavers at the Sydney show. But organisers of the Big Day Out rock festival say they have not banned the Australian flag at Sydney, but they do want concert-goers to leave it at home this Thursday. The Federal Government says organisers should cancel the event if they are worried about violence, rather than discourage people from displaying the Australian flag. BDO organisers have issued a statement saying there will be "no official ban" on the flag, but they are discouraging people from bringing it to the event or wearing it on clothing...
News Ltd has reported that organisers of the Big Day Out at Homebush would confiscate any flag or bandanna featuring the national symbol at the gates. BDO 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. But organisers today said Mr West had been misinterpreted. "We are not banning the Australian flag but are simply discouraging its use for anti-social purposes at the Big Day Out," organisers said in a statement on the BDO website. "In recent times, there has been an increased incidence of flags brandished aggressively and this has led to increased tension. Our only intention in discouraging this activity at the Big Day Out is to ensure that our patrons are not subjected to this aggressive behaviour. With all this in mind and the aim to create a happy, peaceful MUSICAL event, organisers would like to request that fans please leave their flags at home." The organisers said there was no need for the Australian flag to be waved at the Sydney concert as it was not an Australia Day event. The organisers specifically changed the Sydney slot in 2007 so that it didn't fall on its traditional Australia Day date. The ban has prompted a cacophony of disapproval from politicians, including Prime Minister John Howard, and the RSL. "Contrary to the reports in the media, it was never our intention to disrespect the symbolism of the Australian or any other flag," the BDO said. The BDO tours six cities in Australia and New Zealand but the ban will only affect Sydney. NSW Premier Morris Iemma and the RSL also condemned the BDO decision as "outrageous" and "unbelievable". Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said the move was "excessive and wrong". "Organisers have got it plain wrong when they try to hide our flag as if it's some symbol of shame. It's not. We should fly it with pride," he said on Channel 9. RSL national president Bill Crews said he would back the concert being cancelled if the flag ban continued. "We'd certainly support that approach if they don't want to change their mind on the banning of the flag," he told Nine. "This is an incredible decision that I hope organisers will quickly change. It's an unbelievable thing that you ban Australia's national symbol at any event in Australia." Meanwhile, an Australian man has threatened legal action against Qantas for barring him from a Melbourne-to-London flight wearing a t-shirt depicting US President George W Bush as a terrorist. Allen Jasson, who lives in the UK, said he was defending freedom of speech by wearing the t-shirt. He was refused entry to the flight to London at Melbourne Airport on Friday. His t-shirt depicted an image of the US president with the slogan "World's number 1 terrorist". Virgin Blue took the same action when Mr Jasson tried to catch a connecting flight to Adelaide, but on a return flight to Melbourne with Qantas, he successfully wore the shirt. When asked whether his action had been worthwhile, Mr Jasson said: "it's very sad that I find that question has to be asked in Australia. It's a very unhealthy situation and it makes me feel very sad. It's one of the reasons that I now live in the UK." A Qantas spokesman said: "Whether made verbally or on a t-shirt, comments with the potential to offend other customers or threaten the security of a Qantas group aircraft will not be tolerated". --- BDO MEDIA RELEASE: In recent times, there has been an increased incidence of flags brandished inconsiderately and this has led to increased tension. Our only goal in discouraging this activity at the Big Day Out is to ensure that our patrons are not subjected to or inconvenienced by this behaviour. We have no problem with people being patriotic, and we certainly do not have a problem with people wearing or displaying what they feel is important. Regardless of how it has been interpreted, this is about audience safety and enjoyment. With all this in mind and the aim to create a happy, peaceful MUSICAL event, organisers would like to request that fans please leave large flags at home. The substantial increase of flags brought to large public events such as the Big Day Out is becoming excessive and has created complex issues including but not limited to sight line problems. This is simply a request, not a command. The Big Day Out is not an Australia Day event, but a music festival showcasing music artists from around the world and aspires to unify people through music. On the whole, Big Day Out audiences have been extremely well behaved and we hope that this has clarified this situation. Unfortunately media reports were not quoted accurately and we must thank the participating media for wasting everybody’s time including the Prime Minister John Howard, Premier Morris Iemma, NSW RSL President Don Rowe, Keysar Trad (a confidant of the Mufti Sheik Taj el-Dene Elhilaly) and Burt Lane of the Australian National Flag Association... Sources:

BDO Media Release - Clarification on the Flag Issue ABC News: Scrap flag condition or cancel BDO, says Govt News Ltd: Ban concert, not flag: Robb Undercover: Should the BDO Ban The Flag? Melbourne Indymedia: Howard's Legacy, Australian Flag Causes Tension NZ Herald: Qantas bans man over wearing 'Bush number 1 terrorist' shirt scale pictures
Link here Add multimedia to story Add links to story

Get fucked Howard

by Fair Dinkum

2007-01-22 12:02 PM +0900

Needless to say Prime Minister John fucking Howard has labelled the BDO Australian flag "ban" as "stupid and offensive..." Despite the flag not being banned.

Mr Howard, who is back on deck today after bludging off aussie taxpayers during his summer holidays, said most Australians would be offended by the idea as well.

"The proposition that the display of the Australian flag should ever be banned anywhere in Australia is offensive and it will be to millions of Australians," he told reporters. "The reason given at the time was quite unacceptable. They're running their own political agenda but because of public pressure, they're now backing down."

Mr Howard said the Cronulla riots weren't the fault of the flag. "Flags don't have legs and arm, if anyone was breaking the law at Cronulla, or breaks the law at any time in the future, they should be dealt with by the authorities," he said. "This event is on property owned by the NSW government, so the NSW government has the power to make absolutely certain that this stupid ban does not in any way get implemented."

Link here

Burn it don't ban it :)

by Freak Power

2007-01-22 12:59 PM +0900

Seriously though I'm glad I bought a ticket to the BDO.

Glad to see that there are some sensible event organisers out there!

Link here

BDO working to subdue violence

by Data Bilby

2007-01-22 1:39 PM +0900

Australian Democrats have defended the organisers of the Big Day Out. Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett says some people do misuse the flag in a racist way.

"If people love the flag genuinely and are proud of their country as we should be, then we should be concerned about misuse of the flag and should be supporting efforts to prevent the misuse of it," he said.

Link here

Tunes Not Hoons

by Good Article Here...

2007-01-22 1:41 PM +0900

Tunes Not Hoons: In decrying the Big Day Out's discouragement of flag-bearing, government stiffs prove just how out of touch they are with music festival reality.

http://blogs.theage.com.au/music/archives/2007/01/tunes_not_hoons.html

Link here

PM blasts BDO flag conditions

by Parrot Press

2007-01-22 1:54 PM +0900

PM blasts BDO flag conditions

Prime Minister John Howard says the idea of "banning" the Australian flag at Big Day Out concerts is stupid and offensive.

===========================

Then how come he was trying to deceive us by using the word 'banning' when that is false and misleading the people of Australia? Does he think lies are more honest than the truth? Sounds like it! Who is stupid and offensive? John Howard!

Doesn't the truth mean anything anymore? Perhaps he's lied so much he forgot what the truth is?

Your war criminal PM! Welcome to PNAC.

Link here

BAN OTHER FLAGS

by Brendan

2007-01-22 2:08 PM +0900

I agree with this, however they should also ban the Aboriginal flag and any other flag as it creates racial tension. Good on you BDO!!!

Link here

Racist Sensationalism

by Nadnerb

2007-01-22 2:59 PM +0900

The BDO are NOT "banning" flags. Read the article properly before resorting to racist jibes.

Link here

Too scared to go the Big Day Out in Sydney this year.

by From an article in the West

2007-01-22 4:18 PM +0900

Instead, Ms Hall will travel from her home in Canberra to the event's Melbourne show on Sunday after her "horrible" experience of the music festival's Sydney concert last year, which she said was marred by drunk, flag-waving racists.

"It was too big and scary last year, that's what turned me off," the 19-year-old said. "There was just a really, really horrible mentality. There was much too much drinking and behaviour that wasn't acceptable.

"People were wearing the Australian flag and were a bit racist. There was a group of Middle Eastern people sitting down and they went up to them and said `you're not Australians'. "They were really, really drunk. There was this real yob mentality.

"I told them to bugger off and they started yelling at me, saying I wasn't Australian because I wasn't behaving like them. If you weren't with them, you were against them.

"When one of the singers said she didn't agree with John Howard's policies, she had beer cans thrown at her."

It was this sort of experience which caused Big Day Out organiser Ken West to urge patrons planning to attend Thursday's event at the Sydney Showground not to bring Australian flags.

"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 was quoted as saying in News Ltd papers. But Ms Hall said the flag was not to blame, suggesting the event could have been better controlled by organisers.

"I don't blame the flag. There were a lot of drunk people and it was hot and it wasn't controlled particularly well," she said. "I don't think a ban is completely necessary but I understand why they're doing it. There were a lot of violent problems last year. It was generally drunk people wearing the flag."

Flag wavers scared me off: BDO patron

Link here
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The abc just changed the lies

by Parrot Press

2007-01-22 5:58 PM +0900

The terms they're using on the National News tonight is "Restrictions" Not "Ban" not "Discouraging" but Restrictions.

In other words the rumour that it was a ban was a blatant lie!

Link here

Ps the rumour that it is or was....

by Parrot Press

2007-01-22 7:12 PM +0900

A restriciton is also a blatant lie!

Link here

Psss)

by Parrot Press

2007-01-22 7:45 PM +0900

Do you realise that the mess media cannot even own up to their blatant lies without telling us another blatant lie!

When the mess media changed their story tonight and the word "ban" suddenly became the word "restrictions" but not the BDO's word which was 'discouraging'

What kind of mass media institutions do we have in this country?

Reality Bites!

Link here

Big Day Out flag restrictions applauded

by Parrot Press

2007-01-22 8:47 PM +0900

The Australian Democrats say political leaders should face up to the fact that the Australian flag has been misused by racists and ultra-nationalists.

=========================

Including John Howard and his cronies, Kevin Rudd and his cronies and the mess media.

Link here

Accept for one thing!

by Parrot Press

2007-01-22 8:50 PM +0900

They weren't Restrictions they were Discouragements. Please get it right ABC? They even got me then, for a second.

Link here

Freedom Lyrics

by Robert Miles

2007-01-22 8:57 PM +0900

All my life I have searched for clues
This is what they taught me
Every mystery I pursued
Was a secret I already knew
Deep down you know - in your soul
Love is in control
Oh, if you could find the angel within
Time, time to have faith in your wings

Free - everybody's free
In the new day that's coming
Freedom for all is our destiny

Every stone that I left unturned
Soon came back to haunt me
Every fall, every finger burned
Was a step on the road to truth
That I am you - my soul
You are not alone
Oh, when your heart is turned to stone
Love, love is the only way home

Freedom from shame
Freedom from fear
Freedom to live - it's your right to be here

Unity of minds... unity of hearts... one sole sensation... no longer a coincidence...

Overwhelming energy... channelled... through universal language allows
the personal legend to unfold.....

Link here

Ban nationalist flags not aboriginal flags

by Ray

2007-01-23 6:28 PM +0900

"they should also ban the Aboriginal flag and any other flag as it creates racial tension."

Do you not want anyone to take you seriously Brendon?

Maybe you should consider the possibility that it was the invasion of this country and the continuing genocide against aboriginal people that creates 'racial tension'.

In regards to the BDO I think that nationalist flags should be banned but then again I think that nation states should be abolished completely!

There is no argument for banning aboriginal flags.

Aboriginal flags are symbols of self determination rather than symbols of nationalism, they are symbols of resistance to state oppression.

They do not cause 'racial tension' the displaying of an aboriginal flag is a symbolic step towards reconciliation and aboriginal sovereignty.

Something that we desperately need to do in this country if we ever want to be rid of 'racial tension'.

Link here

by Jerome

2007-01-23 6:50 PM +0900

"Flags don't have legs and arm, if anyone was breaking the law at Cronulla, or breaks the law at any time in the future, they should be dealt with by the authorities," - John Howard

So you won't mind me bringing a Pakastani flag to the BDO then? ;) If the flag is not the issue then all flags should be allowed.

Or if, as Ray points out, flags might flare underlying tensions, then no flags whatsoever should be aired. It's all or nothing as far as I'm concerned. Hell they're merely symbols anyway. I don't know why anyone would get so excited over a piece of cloth.

Get over it and just have fun!

Link here