Flagging interest

Australian concert flag ban sparks anger by Rob Taylor

Fears of race clashes on Monday led organizers of Australia's biggest outdoor rock concert to bar fans from carrying the national flag, sparking a furious reaction from the country's prime minister and war veterans.

After fights between ethnic Croatian and Serbian fans outside the Australian Open tennis tournament last week and 2005 race clashes on Sydney's beaches, Big Day Out concert organizers said Australia's flag was a "gang color" which could incite hatred.

"It was racism disguised as patriotism and I'm not going to tolerate it," event producer Ken West told Australian newspapers.

Should the BDO Ban The Flag? by Andrew Tijs

Patriots froth at the mouth upon news that the Big Day Out are "discouraging" flag-wavers at the Sydney show.

Following racist incidents at last year's Sydney Big Day Out, the organisers have clarified that, while they're not "banning" the flag for this year, they are actively "discouraging" it.

Right-wing pundits and even the Prime Minister have criticised the Big Day Out's stance. The organisers specifically changed the Sydney slot in 2007 so that it didn't fall on its traditional Australia Day date. This was due to Cronulla-riot hangover violence at last year's event, including incidents where nationalists reportedly demanded that punters kiss the flag or get punched.

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Understandably, the Big Day Out is a ticketed event and they may stipulate what gets brought onto the grounds. It's reassuring that an organisation with the profile of the Big Day Out has recognised the recent fascistic use of the national symbol.

Since there's no definitive way to tell the difference between nationalist knuckleheads and genuine music fans, banning the flag as a racist symbol is one way to reduce a divisive atmosphere. But alcohol is almost always a factor in these incidents, and it will be more effective to crack down on racist drunken louts, regardless of what they're waving.