Big Day Out - No Aussie flag 'Ban' : Melbourne Indymedia

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

Howard's Legacy, Australian Flag Causes 'Tension'

The concert's organisers say they are not banning or intending disrespect to the flag, but are discouraging its use at the Big Day Out because of recent incidents where the flag has been part of tensions.

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2007/01/137206.php

- This is what happens when Politically Correct leftist loonies SPIT RIGHT UP AGAINST THE WIND...

- All the slemy spoothum get into their own dripping faces

It is like Mr Ken West and friends has gotten feaces on their faces

What would happen if Ken and friends were NOT AUSTRALIANS????

In China Ken et al would be shot and had their heart, liver etc recycled... The rest of Ken would end up in a pit.

In Cuba Ken and friends would do time (lots..) in a CUBAN goal of the worst kind, so bad they wish they could move to the American enclave in Guantamo Bay and gain some weight before its too late!

In Putins Russian Republic PRR Ken would be "zeroed" by one mantled 9mm bullet to the spine, or what do you think Ken?

In France Ken would never hold a public office or government job, EVER!

In North Korea he would not even have time to think his anti-national flag though to the end... wooooosh!

In USA people would think Ken must be totally ..well.. crazy?

In Australia Ken and others fancy themselves as politically correct and honorable pillers of the Urbane Left Wing Society.

Take your pick...

So it's not being banned, it's just being discouraged. Fantasic. The result being that only those kind of people filled with enough anger who would use the flag in such a way as they wish it not to be used would bring it along in defiance? Those that would only use it as an expression of their belonging to a nation that encourages freedoms and 'fair-go' will obey since connotations are being drawn to the symbol that they are at odds with.

Is it moral to use a man's virtue as a weapon against him, where the only ones unaffected are those without virtue? Where does that leave your society?

The Federal Government says the organisers of Sydney's Big Day Out should cancel the event if they are worried about violence, rather than discourage people from displaying the Australian flag.

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

Does that mean that the racist feds have distanced themselves from the root cause of the trouble they've caused our community in relation to the islamophobic race hate campaign? Their leader John Howard himself? Why is that?

Why don't we just cancel the flag at the dance party?

Or better still cancel the war criminal federal gov't at the next election?

What do you think would happen if Ken and friends were NOT AUSTRALIANS????

In China Ken and mates would be shot and had their heart, liver etc recycled... The rest of Ken would end up in a pit.

In Cuba Ken and friends would do time (lots..) in a CUBAN goal of the worst kind, so bad they wish they could move to the American enclave in Guantamo Bay and gain some weight before its too late!

In Putins Russian Republic PRR Ken would be "nulled" by one mantled 9mm bullet to the spine, or what do you think Ken?

In France Ken would never hold a public office or government job, EVER!

In North Korea he would not even have time to think his anti-national flag though to the end... wooooosh!

In USA people would think Ken must be totally ..well.. crazy maybe?

In Australia Ken and others fancy themselves as politically correct and honorable pillers of the Urbane Left Wing Society.

Take your pick Ken and kens friends...

If John Howard and his cronies who have committed war crimes against humanity under the banner of the Australian flag were to be held to account at the International Criminal Court?

It's my understanding that that would be treason!

At least you mooronic self-haters and Australia basher should get the flag right

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.

Word up retards. The original 'ban' has been watered down to 'discouraged'.

The BDO organisers 'revised' and changed their media release when they realised the outrage they'd caused.

It was reported Sunday night by the press and sanctioned by West himself.....thus

EXCLUSIVE by Simon Benson and Kathy McCabe
January 21, 2007 10:46pm

THE Australian flag has been banned from this year's Big Day Out in Sydney after organisers branded it a "gang colour" and symbol of hate....
....Mr West added the ban was also in part trying to be respectful to the Aboriginal community, who view Australia Day as invasion day.

So you might wanna 'revise' your attack there, irrelevant Howard Haters.
And you might wanna get factual on the 'blood on hands' 'war' aspect too. Australia's official role in Iraq is actually by invitation for peacekeeping...and never was illegal. Get a clue.

Fark me.....A traditional Australia Day function ....not only rescheduled as to not offend a minority of Abo's who view it as 'Invasion Day', pfft.....but also sanction symbols of Australia being there.

BDO organisers have truly revealed it's leftist PC apologist 'colours'. Big Thumbs down.....and to those of you who condone such and aid and abett the erosion of 'Australianess'.

The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has told the BBC the US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the UN charter.
He said the decision to take action in Iraq should have been made by the Security Council, not unilaterally.

The UN chief said that "painful lessons" had been learnt since the war in Iraq.

"Lessons for the US, the UN and other member states. I think in the end everybody's concluded it's best to work together with our allies and through the UN," he said.

The legality of the 2003 US-UK war on Iraq. Shortly before the outbreak of hostilities, UN Secretary General stated that the use of force without Council endorsement would "not be in conformity with the Charter" and many legal experts now describe the US-UK attack as an act of aggression, violating international law. Experts also point to illegalities in the US conduct of the war and violations of the Geneva Conventions by the US-UK of their responsibilities as an occupying power.

In April 2004, the New Yorker magazine revealed the "systematic and illegal abuse of detainees," including torture and degrading treatment, by US interrogators and guards at Abu Ghraib prison, outside Baghdad. Since then, many reports have established US mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners, and published hundreds of gruesome photographs taken by prison guards. These reports (some produced by the Pentagon) have exposed the widespread abuse and torture of detainees and a number of deaths under detention and interrogation, as well as the hiding of prisoners from International Committee of the Red Cross inspectors.

World public opinion has condemned the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers as a war crime and a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions. Washington has attributed the events to “bad apples” and failed to accept responsibility or to hold seriously accountable mid- and high-level military officers and civilian officials, even though these people had established policies and issued orders that led directly to the abuses. Military courts have only tried and charged low-ranking individuals.

Abuses have taken place in detention sites under direct US authority, but also in detention centers administered by British forces and by the government of Iraq.

The concert's organisers say they are not banning or intending disrespect to the flag, but are discouraging its use at the Big Day Out because of recent incidents where the flag has been part of tensions. ABC.

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

Regardless who'd take the risk after Cronulla? If it were my venue I'd have banned it! Public liability.

who's to say we won't see any other countries flags being waved around now or snuck in......... you've banned the aussie flag but none others...

Cut and pasted that little propaganda spiel quickly....at 'the ready' was it?

Way to divert from the issue of the BDO faux pas though...with exclusive Iraq propaganda.

BDO has revised and downgraded it's press releases in response to unforseen fallout......and has now caused more likelihood of defiant 'in your face' reprisals.

So arrogant are they that they attempted to manipulate the public through heavy handed, politically tinged, agenda based 'rules'.

Caught out trying to dictate PCism...

Nice one BDO organisers....any subsequent fallout on the day will be on your hands.

Then perhaps we wouldn't have any problem with our national identity!

Iraq is not just a war crime it's a holocaust leaving at least 655,000 people stone dead.

What do you call that? A picnic at hanging rock?

sure, let's wipe out the flag :
but not just the white australian flag,
let's wipe out all flags!
nationalism of any flavour is an enemy of humanity.

I'll accept that the BDO mob have made a clumsy move in response to recent ugly racist nationalist tendencies within australian society : moving the event away from invasion day seems a good tactic, but banning the flag might be provocative, and authoritarian. But while I can find fault with their response to last year's unpleasantries, I warmly welcome the fact that at least they've responded.
I recognise this as a rare display of leadership on the important issue of racial harmony.
Our elected leaders have demonstrated no interest in this goal, rather preferring to foster and whip up racist divisions for their own ends.

Are you loopy?
by Don is Good (State Secretary) Monday January 22, 2007 at 06:34 PM

They did not ban the flag! When you start your argument from a negative you only end up with stupidity!

Again....the issue for comment is BDO organisers firstly 'banning' and then watering down to 'discouraging' the intake of Australian flags.

This aside from it's original slight of changing the traditional date so as not to 'offend' a handful of chip on shoulder Abo's.

If you can't be offended by that....pfft.

Whatever the reason - it sure got the BDO massive amounts of free advertising on Australian newspapers! Get the PM etc ranting and lip-spittlin to the media pack, and you got yourself some uber-publicity!

Ken West is a legend at getting his name in the papers!

Whats that saying? Any advertising is good...

Why do you think you're real? You'd have to be the most pathetic racist this country has ever known. Your statement that the UN is not International Law takes the cake.

You'd say shit was blue just to win any argument!

Now go away idot and come back when you can prove at least one point!

the sad little ocker fascists are revealing what their symbols are really about - the power of whitey

The claim that Australia is a nation concerned with 'freedoms' and 'a fair go' should turn to ashes in anyone's mouth - it's a laughable proposition. At the very least there are dozens of other countries with more liberal laws, more .

At worst Australia as a nation represents the inverse of freedom and a fair go... it represents genocide, carnage for convenience, punitive laws, long standing flirtations with heavy censorship, the obedience of the people when faced with authority, and heavy handed authorities.... this is Australia's national 'character'.

In no way is Australia a particularly 'freedom-loving' or liberal country. It's way behind the curve, and the only salve appears to be constant reference to those several dozen regimes significantly worse than Australia's.

In Germany there is a natural reticence about raising the national flag... those people understand the ugly kind of power such symbols can have.

The Australian flag represents the state, not the people. It represents uniformity, not diversity. Above it represents WHITE DOMINATION OF THIS CONTINENT...

so fook the Australian flag and all who wrap themselves in it... there's a cheap, nasty not very well thought out homegrown Aussie fascism on the rise....

PMSL...yes, that's the way...bully away those that don't conform to the leftist PC way. Prove my point. Reality does indeed bite...and conservatives are fast beginning to speak out and become less passive.

West did not do himself or BDO a service...his rampant, agenda charged, heavy handed 'rules' which had to be wound back and 'revised' to save face shows he is out of step with real 'Australia'.

'Any' Publicity is not always good for the subject involved...ie West..sorry...so that is a furphy. In this case PC manipulation has gone too far and the increasing arrogance of the PC apologists has been exposed by him. People have started to question....and disagree.

A lefty entrenched site such as this may well have continued to go under the radar...until now.
Checking the 'features' to the left (sic) I can see just what crud is being fed subliminally and blatantly to Australian youth.

lol political correctness in Australia today means not daring to criticise the Australian flag, or Australian institutions. Not speaking out, because it's getting dangerous in one way or another.

Political Correctness refers to the difficulty in expressing ideas and concepts that are unacceptable to the mainstream or the majority - i.e the GOVERNMENT.

Once upon a time being politically correct might have been about 'multiculturalism' and not speaking your mind on gender issues. But a decade ago the Government changed. Now being politically correct means don't say a word against the TROOPS IN IRAQ, or our ALLIES THE AMERICANS....

Sounds almost as though all those who voted for the Government currently in power are now unhappy because they're being persecuted by the powerless few. Of course, this is ridiculous. The term 'PC' loses all meaning unless it can cater for the changing politics of the time.

What's actually going on in the previous post about political correctness is that the author feels there are certain things NOBODY SHOULD SAY. That people should be shut down because they hold unpalatable political positions - for example that the Australian nation is at best a silly superficial fiction in the minds of a few million souls, and at worst a brutal century old vehicle for various kinds and degrees of oppression.

It's not PC to say fuck the troops, fuck the flag, fuck our allies, fuck the Government, and fuck your cheesy parochial passe idea that you and your people have the right to control what happens on this continent in future.

Start with your statement that the flag was banned. Post the link!

Then that the UN is not International Law post the link.

Then with the some notion as you say that the the Iraq was was not an illegal act of aggression against a sovereign nation who incidentaly has their own flag!

Post the link!

My Question:

What kind of retarded baboon takes a national flag to a rock n roll gig?

It's an open invitation for the rest of the audience to insert it in the would-be flag wavers rectum.

Any value the flag may have had was lost when Howard used it as dunny paper.

No-one fought for a rag, they fought for principles and democratic rights that Howard has steadily removed, eroded and undermined. I hope the cunt ends up being choked with his filthy rag. That's all he deserves.

Kate Hall is too scared to go the Big Day Out in Sydney this year. 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.

"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."

Proof that mind numbing ignoramuses don't (or can't) read.

Check out my original post...it quotes West himself on the 'ban' issue to reporters LAST NIGHT...BEFORE all the furore.

West and the BDO organisers changed and modified their own press release on their site today twice....in reponse. Downgrading the 'ban' to simply 'discouraging'......playing the infamous Hilaly 'I woz mis-interpretted' defence.

But just for you...here is a sample of his heavy handed, agenda laden, dictatorial 'ban' message.....
"The Australian flag was being used as gang colours. It was racism disguised as patriotism and I'm not going to tolerate it.

"I am telling people not to bring flags ....
Mr West added the ban was also in part trying to be respectful to the Aboriginal community, who view Australia Day as invasion day.

Taken from the now defunct article on News.com last night entitled Australian flag a 'gang colour'

http://searchresults.news.com.au/servlet/Search?site=ninews&masthead=null&searchoption=yes&queryterm=Big+day+out&pageidx=2

It WAS banned.....but now it's not...only 'discouraged' because they have backed down on it....sorry if it's too hard for you.

Get yourself informed....and that goes for International Law too.

What are you on about?

You might also wanna question why those 'drunk' racists, who also had the flags last year haven't had alcohol targetted.

Seems that alcohol was a contributing factor as well.

Remove the offenders....remove the alcohol maybe.....but why remove the Flags?
If BDO organisers can't 'control' the situation.....then maybe they shouldn't be in charge of an event of this size.

Pfft, yeah right.....it's NOT crowd control they're REALLY worried about it's 'crowd control'....pushing an agenda.

ye.. agree, they should have stuck to their guns... a full ban on the flag. Anyone who doesn't like it - don't go.

A simple test at the gate for electrical activity within the cranium would have excluded all the same people

and it depends on the type of crowd as to whether it needs 'controlling'

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

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

it's amazing how much ppl will invest in a coloured piece of cloth .. this thread is a good eg .. circus

meanwhile in the Persian Gulf, Oh!.... what's the real important news, morons .. fucked and distracted again ... smile when you see the mushroom you screaming idiots KEEP UR EYE ON THE BALL AND DON'T BE DISTRACTED IF YOU WOULD WIN

ps) Reality lost
by Don is Good (State Secretary) Monday January 22, 2007 at 08:42 PM

The link you provided was from big media the statement you suggested that was alleged to have come from the BDO came from big media who lie.

Seems there are still some that cannot comprehend or come to grips with the reality that BDO organisers were BANNING the entry of flags...but CHANGED THEIR MINDS and downgraded the situation to a 'REQUEST' or to'discourage' their presence....BECAUSE of the bad reception the notion received once it hit the press.

It's not hard

They were going to BAN...but they aren't now.
D'oh

They have also 'doctored' their own Press release site twice already today....for evidence of this check the real site now and then the cut and pasted version above in the original article. They mentioned a 'line of sight' problem as one of the reasons....and now have omitted it.

Example.....

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.

The revised release at present omits the above ....
http://www.bigdayout.com/news/pressreleases.php?PressReleaseId=27

And prove the rest of your points! I want evidence not crap! Where does it say they banned it?

Where does it say that the UN does not stand for International Law?

Where does it say that the Iraq war was not an illegal act of aggression?

Three links stupid or fuck off!

Oh yeah...there's a defence...'Big Media lie'.... of course they do...it's all a conspiracy....idiot.

The link was from News.com......quotes from West concerning the 'banning'.....the banning that was later downgraded to 'discouraging'. pfft.

Taken from the now defunct article on News.com last night entitled Australian flag a 'gang colour'

http://searchresults.news.com.au/servlet/Search?site=ninews&masthead=null&searchoption=yes&queryterm=Big+day+out&pageidx=2

But, of course...according to 'Don' there it was a lie...PMSL....a little more 'out there' than BDO's own defence...that 'they woz misinterpretted'....waaaaaaaa

Their own attempts to 'modify' their own press release site not once but twice today indicates it is THEY who change their minds and 'change their story'....not the press.

it's hardly surprising a commercial operation would moderate its press releases in the face of widespread criticism, compromising its original ideal..

but what's your point?

When the abc change their story tonight and the word "ban" suddenly became the world "restrictions" but not the BDO's word which was 'discouraging' then you know it was spin and lies by the mess media - just to suit the islamophobic propaganda and neo nationalist agenda of the despotic John Howard gov't - because they can't help themselves.

When they do that, the rest of us know why and you don't? And until you put your cards on the table you're no more than they are, a supremist racist nationalist and a blatant liar.

Why should people believe them or you?

What the media say does not mean a person said. It means what a person said has been deliberately taken out of context to change the meaning of what a person said.

So unless I see what you say that the person said ie in "quotes" "" for stupid people, then that is not what they said it is what the mess media wanted them to say.

The 'BAN" was discussed with West...his comments are in quotation marks....FFS

Such furore did they cause HIS COMMENTS on banning.....that they he had to REVISE his stance and water it down to simply 'discouraging' the act......far cry from .."I;m not going to tolerate it....they are free to get then out at midnight'....D'oh..

The original article is now defunct.....but luckily copied in full..check it with the source if you must.

EXCLUSIVE by Simon Benson and Kathy McCabe
January 21, 2007 10:46pm

THE Australian flag has been banned from this year's Big Day Out in Sydney after organisers branded it a "gang colour" and symbol of hate.
Organisers of the Aussie rock festival at Homebush will confiscate any flag or bandana bearing the national symbol at the gate.
Labelling Sydney a hot bed of racism, producers of the Sydney Showground event said it will be the only city in the nationwide event to be subject to the draconian action.
Promoters have already moved the event from the traditional Australia Day gig to a day earlier to avoid nationalistic overtones.
Spooked by last year's event, which came only weeks after the Cronulla riots, organisers will outlaw flags being brandished as a "gang colour".
Prime Minister John Howard said the Big Day Out should be cancelled unless organisers reversed their decision to ban the flag. Big Day Out patrons were intimidated and harassed at the Sydney event on Australia Day 2006 by bigoted fans brandishing flags and demanding people pledge their allegiance.

Event producer Ken West said the use of flags last year after the Cronulla riots and recent clashes between Serb and Croatian fans at the Australian Open tennis had forced his hand.

"I didn't like the behaviour of last year and we have moved the event from Australia Day this year partly because of the way the flags were used," Mr West said.

"The Australian flag was being used as gang colours. It was racism disguised as patriotism and I'm not going to tolerate it.

"I am telling people not to bring flags - they are free to get them out at midnight on their way home when it is Australia Day."

Gangs use colours and symbols to distinguish them from rival groups.

Mr West added the ban was also in part trying to be respectful to the Aboriginal community, who view Australia Day as invasion day.

"This is about giving people the opportunity to think about it and what the flag means to them," he said.

Premier Morris Iemma reacted angrily to the ban, claiming the promotors should "reverse their decision immediately".

"If they pulled this on Independence Day in the US, imagine what would happen. It's just ridiculous," he said.

"It is a ridiculous decision and I never thought I'd see the day when a promoter would ask young Australian people to celebrate Australian artists but not identify with their national flag."

Mainstream headline act Jet have a black and white version of the flag as the backdrop for their set.

Frontman Nic Cester said they used this version to display their pride in being Australian.

"I can't tell anyone else what to do but we as a band are very proud to be Australian and we don't want to feel we are not allowed to feel proud because of the disgusting actions of people who don't represent Australia, in my mind," he said.

The ban will be announced on the Big Day Out website this week.

Security staff will not search bags specifically but will be told to stop people from wearing a flag or Australian bandana.

The Big Day Out will be the first event ever to ban the national symbol.

What 'wording' the ABC uses now I couldn't give a rats....the reality is that West intended to BAN....now he isn't. The changes to the press release indicate damage control...because they were changing their story....and have.

You people here really need to get a grip on what's actually happening....and stop 'parroting' what others tell you to think.

I want to see his words in quotes. else you're a liar!

Now where is the quotes statements?

A) BDO banned the flag?

B) The UN does not stand for International Law?

C) The Iraq war was not an illegal and degrading act of aggression against a sovereign nation?

Simon beats someone up every day of the week, why do you think we do this here? For the sake of it?

Or because big media lie to us?

Add that to your list of brain dead fucking answers creep!

just ban it in in Sydney Ken, all freak flags welcome in Melbs, also good lebanese flags available nearby in sydney rd.

The rumour that it is or was....A 'restriciton' is also another blatant lie!

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!

again, the decision of a commercial operator to revise the wording of media statements in reaction to a negative response is totally unsurprising.

The attempt to find fault with the BDO organisers is immaterial, even if valid. It has nothing to do with whether the intention to ban or restrict the Australian flag is a good idea.... inconsistency on the part of BDO operators represents the commercial aspect of the operation. But restricting or banning the flag remains a sensible device for reducing the numbers and activities of Anglo-Saxon extremists who want to use the event to symbolically reinforce white power.

David when people lie to you it is not irrelevant, it is not minuscule it is deeply deceptive.

Then they can lie about all manor of things no matter what subject.

This can have you jailed for life for instance. Or leave you severely battered.

Trial by media lies is not irrelevant and I should think even more relevant than a stupid flag, which is only 'one element' to a party of liars daily subject matter.

Think about it!

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.....

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

Howard's abc

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

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

Not so fast....Accept for one thing!

They weren't 'Restrictions' they were 'Discouragements'.

Please get it right ABC?

responses were predictable from all parties
did serve to bring a little further out into the open the ugly phenomenon underlying the flag issue
but in a pragmatic sense it's fairly obvious at this point the political delineations that the issue highlights between people living here..

..it could be seen as part of the first reaction to the idea that Australia won't always be an Anglo-Celtic-dominated nation, that Anglo culture and the Westminster system won't always dominate here, that English wont always be the first language, that it wont always be called 'Australia', or considered a single 'nation'.

the lies are from those predictable sources that don't like the thought.

Breakfast television this morning was vehement on the issue, and the subtlety of distinction being discussed here was nowhere in evidence. An array of people endorsed the Government and Opposition position, and criticised the BDO's decision. Does a lot of damage, and its all to be expected. Countered to some extent by the ABC and SBS, which presented more than one perspective.

Point isn't that the word 'ban' or 'discouraged' was used, it's the polarised sentiments that the idea of the restriction generates. Some peopple want to protect and shore up white or western or anglo-celtic power. Other people aren't ok with the idea of shoring up the dominant power on the planet any further, and maybe welcome the diffusion of the dominant culture and the fraying at the edges of Western civilisation, There's a kind of justice in it.

You're still focusing on one 'element' to a party of liars daily subject matter.

When I said think about it I meant come back tomorrow after you have thought about it.

Your attention span only seems to be able to cover one subject at a time.

Think holistically not within the square but outside the square.

Think about as you did with morning show on every subject and the crap that the mess media are projecting to 90 per cent of the population all the time.

That means they can re work every single issue to suit themselves and that's why we are in so much deep shit.

If those lies are continually exposed the more people may be able to pass it on so that that strategy doesn't work any more.

I'm not sure if it can be done. On the basis that we cannot get to more than say 10 per cent of them.

That means we're in even deeper shit.

lol
are you 3?
raise something worth the effort if you want to be considered seriously.
youre stating the obvious, without looking at any kind of underlying cause. It's not that media deception's insignificant - I said the opposite - it's that it's obvious. Focusing on the crude manipulation of particular words on a particular day might be worth mention, but not obsessing about .

naive plans for winning over the peeps aside
the relationship between political beliefs, intolerance, 'fear of a black planet' and the parading of nationalist symbols is hardly irrelevant here...

maybe you're looking for someone convenient to blame, problem is more insidious than cheesy Chomskian media filter theory 101...

come back tomorrow after you try thinking with your head instead of talking out of yr arse

Underlying cause, PNAC!

You say, "Focusing on the crude manipulation of particular words on a particular day might be worth mention, but not obsessing about ."

Who's obsessed about thIS 'issue' or element of the day now? You are.

I said there are many issues each one of them worthy of a today's comment however now that we dealt with today's issue it is time to move on and deal with the general issue of the mess media manipulation and misrepresentation of what people say.

I said move outside the issue or element of the day and sleep on it.

Obviously you didn't and so once again you don't think about what I said.

You say," 'fear of a black planet' and the parading of nationalist symbols is hardly irrelevant here... "

What about fear of war, tyranny, islamophobia, prison, crime, etc.

You see there are many issues they can lie about or misrepresent.

Move on past the flag, nationalist symbols because we dealt with it yesterday. Unless Mess Media want to rais the subject on the front page of today's news.

Yes I am blaming someone, MESS MEDIA! And like I said there is an underlying cause, PNAC.

One of the worst race-haters on this website's view on the topic is also hardly surprising. Nor is equating freedom and 'fair go' automatically and only with law. It's all about force and government control in the end, after all.

If 'whitey' was as bad as you claimed, he'd listen to your claims and say 'So what?' and ignore you. Your dreaded 'racist' label would be meaningless. Instead, you have power over him since he is nothing like you claim he is

It would be kinda nice to see you after the hated western civilization did fall apart, but then I'd be having to deal with it too, so, no thanks.

parrot press, you're chastising me for addressing the topic this thread relates to, the use of the Australian flag, rather than every other issue of importance under the sun.

the state of the media is a symptom, and a problem, and a machiavellian tool, but it's not the underlying cause - these sentiments come direct from the Australian public

Jay, my eyes are blue, IM whitey as much as anyone. I'm a fan of heredotus and tacitus and shakespeare and coleridge and oscar wilde - in short I value Western culture... it's my culture.

But I'd like my culture to be one of many on the planet, and not a controlling power. Many people - little Johnny Howard, George Bush included - are frightened about the idea that we might not DOMINATE, that others might get as strong as us. Im just in favour of a little balance. When the survival of Western civilisation is at stake, I'll fight for it. But while we're just being taken down a peg or two, I approve.

I'm English - my ancestors have a lot to answer for. The privileges I have come directly from the looting and pillaging of these empire building ancestors - we're all still living off the spoils.

Many think there shouldn't be a cost to this, but the cost, the consequence, the repercussions, are coming anyway. 'We pay in blood for the cruelty of our ancestors'. In this sense it's safer to be smaller, less powerful, so as not to inspire legitimate grievances in others.

As long as we can't discuss the issue of Anglo power and its maintenance without being accused ourselves of racism, then we can't talk about what's really being celebrated with the waving of Aussie flags.

Sounds suddenly reasonable. My mistake. Sometimes I forget that what you're doing rhetorically can mislead a simple reader.

The whole idea of knocking something as inclusive and pervasive as a culture 'down a few pegs' is still rather difficult...

Go to YOU TUBE tube and hear Lebanese rapping /sing about Sydney surf bogans!

Here you can see that the coin has got two sides!, and see for the first time? the really dark side of the coin!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlDztjPzvSM

Go here to get two sides of the coin

Community investigate gang violence media released timing?

But it was released on You Tube on 25 November 2006, but it can wait to be released by the Mess Media, save for the eve of Invasion Day 2007 right? Well thank your lucky stars?

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2007/01/137573.php

excerp from "Dingoes and Dragons"

"The current ‘Australian’ flag is a disgrace; no sovereign nation would tolerate vestiges of colonial ignominy on any national symbol; the presence of the pommy Union Jack on the flag is an offence to any red blooded Aussie. Howard, however, seems to be very comfortable with symbols of subservience to foreign powers."