Ban concert, not flag: Robb
January 22, 2007 07:51am
Article from: AAP
ORGANISERS should cancel the Australia Day eve Big Day Out concert in Sydney rather than ban the flag at Thursday's event, parliamentary secretary for immigration Andrew Robb said.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma and the RSL also condemned the decision to ban the flag, describing it as "outrageous" and "unbelievable".
The Daily Telegraph today reported that organisers of the Big Day Out at Homebush had decided they would confiscate any flag or bandana featuring the national symbol 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.
BDO organisers issued a statement this morning saying the flag was not banned, but they said they did not want concert-goers taking it into the event.
"We are not banning the Australian flag but are simply discouraging its use for anti-social purposes at the Big Day Out," the statement said.
The issue has prompted a chorus of disapproval from top politicians, including Prime Minister John Howard, and the RSL.
Mr Robb said the flag was not the problem and should not be banned.
"If they have got a security problem, they need to deal with that, not with the flag. The flag is a symbol of unity," he told Channel 9.
"To compare the flag to a gang colour I think is just outrageous, and totally unacceptable."
He said the flag ban needed to be overturned.
"It is critical as soon as possible that the organisers remove this condition or otherwise I think the concert should be cancelled," he said.
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."
NSW Premier Morris Iemma said the organisers should allow the Australian flag.
"Our flag ought not to be used to be making political points like this. It is a still an outrageous decision and one that needs to be reversed and reversed immediately," Mr Iemma told Macquarie Radio.
"The flag is a symbol of national unity and pride."
BDO organisers said while they intended no disrespect to the flag, the Sydney concert was not an Australia Day event and there was no need for the flag to be waved there.
"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," they said.
"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 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.
