“Worst Vivid Ever”: Protesters Used Spotlights To Disrupt The Opera House Projections

More than 1000 demonstrators gathered outside the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday night to protest projections promoting the upcoming Everest Cup horse race.

The Racing NSW promos, which were displayed on the Opera House sails for around 30 minutes after sundown, were greeted by a chorus of boos along with chants of “not for sale”, “the graphics are shit” and “worst Vivid ever”. Many protesters used torches in an attempt to obscure the projections, while the Australian Industrial Lighting Association aimed industrial spotlights at the building from the other side of the harbour.

The protests came after days of controversy over the use of the World Heritage landmark for commercial purposes. The Opera House initially knocked back a proposal by Racing NSW, but were overruled by the NSW Government after conservative broadcaster Alan Jones harangued Opera House CEO Louis Herron on his radio show and said she ought to be sacked.

Among the protesters was Willy Hall, the son of Peter Hall, the Australian architect who completed the building after the original architect quit the project.

“Our house is a precious gift to the world,” Hall told the crowd. “We have to fight to stop more of this appalling advertising.

More than a quarter of a million Australians have signed a change.org petition objecting to the projections, while a recent survey found that 80 percent of NSW residents were opposed to the state government’s intervention on the matter.

There was a heavy police presence at the protest, but no arrests were made.

HAPPENING NOW: Around 2000 protesters gathered at the Sydney Opera House have successfully blocked out the promotional logos displayed, by shining heavy-duty torches upon the arches. More to come. #9News pic.twitter.com/NAOhRu5TZk

— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) October 9, 2018

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Feature image via Racing NSW/Twitter