Malcolm Turnbull Has Responded To The Campaign Calling For A Boycott Of The National Anthem
The Prime Minister has blasted the call for a boycott of the anthem and urged all Australians to sing it this weekend.
Malcolm Turnbull has blasted calls to boycott the national anthem at this weekend’s AFL and NRL grand finals as “divisive” in an interview on 3AW radio this morning. The campaign calling on players and fans to refuse to stand during the anthem was kicked off on Junkee yesterday by Gunai/Kurnai and Yorta Yorta activist Paul Gorrie.
In a video and accompanying article Gorrie discussed the anthem’s history, arguing that it only reflected one section of Australian history and culture. “The national anthem is a representation of our colonial history, and black deaths in custody are the impacts of our colonial history and the racism that continues to this day,” Gorrie said. “We feel these impacts of colonisation and are constantly reminded of them through various representations of it — the flag, the anthem, the Southern Cross — then we are asked to participate in it.”
Why I Won’t Be Standing For The National Anthem At The Grand Final
He called on all players and fans to show solidarity with Indigenous Australians by refusing to sing the anthem and by “taking a knee”, a tactic currently being used many NFL players in the US.
The campaign gained momentum when Anthony Mundine threw his support behind it yesterday. On Facebook, Mundine wrote, “All players aboriginal & non aboriginal should boycott the anthem & start changing Australia’s ignorant mentality…lets move forward together yo.”
This morning the Prime Minister was asked about the campaign by 3AW host, Neil Mitchell. In response to Mitchell declaring the campaign was “divisive”, Turnbull said, “I couldn’t agree with you more. This is a day when everyone comes together, the two big codes are played. Both codes, the AFL and NRL, work hard to be inclusive and embrace modern Australian and all of its diversity, and this is a time when we all come together.”
Turnbull: "This is a weekend where everyone comes together. Both codes work hard to be inclusive. Everyone should sing the anthem."
— 3AW Melbourne (@3AW693) September 29, 2016
Turnbull also urged everyone to sing the national anthem and “be proud of our country”. On Channel 9’s Today show this morning, Peter Hitchener said, “We’re so lucky to live in a country where this kind of debate can be held with a minimum of rancour and ill feelings. Some will say this is not the venue for it or not the time for this, but then again, the players may very well have other ideas about it.”
Today host Karl Stefanovic declared the campaign was “ridiculous”.
After Mundine publicly called for a boycott this weekend, the campaign gained a huge amount of traction and has been reported by most Australian media outlets including The Australian, The Herald-Sun and The Sydney Morning Herald.