Aboriginal Australian Olympian defies rules & wears Aboriginal flag (1 Viewer)

[soloooooo]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...-egor-mekhontcev/story-fn9dirj0-1226439016876

"He did it for his people, but officials are warning Australian boxer Damien Hooper not to repeat his entry to the Olympic ring with the Aboriginal flag proudly emblazoned across his chest.
Hooper, an Indigenous Australian from northern Queensland, marred his Games debut by wearing a black T-shirt bearing the Aboriginal flag as he arrived for his impressive opening fight win against American Marcus Browne.


It went against Australian team rules, which state athletes must only wear the official team uniform.


But it's the fear of further sanctions from the International Olympic Committee, which frowns upon political statements, that prompted Australian Olympic team officials to halt the practice ahead of his second round fight against Russian Egor Mekhontcev.


"We will talk to Damien and counsel him against doing it again," Australian team media director Mike Tancred said."

This is worse than what Nick Darcy and Kenrick monk done when posing with guns in the US. Wearing any flag other than the official Australian flag which the Australian Olympic team is represented by is disgusting. Refusing to wear the team uniform should also see him strongly disciplined.

Can you imagine the uproar if an Israel athlete wore a t-shirt lamenting their neighbours etc. What this athlete has done is akin to this and it is divisive for Australia.

 

[kaz1]

His people did get fucked around a lot under the Australian flag.

 

[Lentern]

Nobody tell Arthur Tunstall.

 

[Rixon]

black magic

 

[soloooooo]

His people did get fucked around a lot under the Australian flag.

So? Many of our Olympians competing for Australia were not born in Australia. Do you think they should wear t-shirts of their former country (before they became an Aus. citizen)? If they tried it they would probably be removed from the team and sent back home to Australia immediately.

 

[Lentern]

So? Many of our Olympians competing for Australia were not born in Australia. Do you think they should wear t-shirts of their former country (before they became an Aus. citizen)? If they tried it they would probably be removed from the team and sent back home to Australia immediately.

Why not, it's just a silly sporting event.

 

[mirakon]

So? Many of our Olympians competing for Australia were not born in Australia. Do you think they should wear t-shirts of their former country (before they became an Aus. citizen)? If they tried it they would probably be removed from the team and sent back home to Australia immediately.

how is this analogous to a situation involving indigenous people?

 

[soloooooo]

how is this analogous to a situation involving indigenous people?

It is a perfect example. Should someone who was born in India to Indian parents, yet is now an Australian citizen and is representing Australia at the London 2012 games be allowed to wear a t-shirt during Olympic competition that is recognising his culture by displaying the Indian flag on it? No.

 

[SnowFox]

But indians are not indigenous to Australia.

Fuck most of Australia isnt even indigenous to Australia.

 

[soloooooo]

But indians are not indigenous to Australia.

Fuck most of Australia isnt even indigenous to Australia.

I didn't think I would have to point it out, but Aboriginals are not indigenous to Australia either. They may have came here some 40000 years ago, although, no, they are not indigenous to the land.

 

[SnowFox]

More "indigenous" then whites.

And thats purely dependent on which usage of Indigenous you use, I'm using the post 20th century one describing distinct groups being affected by colonization.

 

[townie]

So? Many of our Olympians competing for Australia were not born in Australia. Do you think they should wear t-shirts of their former country (before they became an Aus. citizen)? If they tried it they would probably be removed from the team and sent back home to Australia immediately.

You realise that Aboriginal people come from Australia right? That they don't come from another country? And they are Australian citizens? And that the aboriginal flag isn't a countries flag?

Your idiocy aside - I am a bit torn about it - but I probably lean towards the view that the Olympics is not the place for protest (although I acknowledge some important protests moments have taken place in Olympic history). A swimmer was banned from wearing a mouth grill on the podium when receiving gold so it's not like the policy is directed specifically at this kind of protest.

I guess my view is that I can see why he did it, and I don't think he sold b e punished, but I do think the Olympics shouldn't be brought into disrepute.

 

[townie]

Why not, it's just a silly sporting event.

It's much more than that and to reduce it to silly is the height of idiocy.

 

[soloooooo]

You realise that Aboriginal people come from Australia right? That they don't come from another country? And they are Australian citizens? And that the aboriginal flag isn't a countries flag?

Yes, I realise all that.

 

[townie]

Yes, I realise all that.

Then you accept your comparison wasn't valid then.

 

[Azure]

It's amazing how something like this actually becomes news. Who cares, he wore a shirt with the Aboriginal flag on the front, which mind you, is still an official Australian flag. Should he have worn something with the Australian national flag instead? Probably. Is it a big deal? No.

 

[townie]

It's amazing how something like this actually becomes news. Who cares, he wore a shirt with the Aboriginal flag on the front, which mind you, is still an official Australian flag. Should he have worn something with the Australian national flag instead? Probably. Is it a big deal? No.

I think it's news because it was the aboriginal flag, so you know, race relations always gets a run in the media. I think however at its most basic the issue wasn't that he wore the "wrong" flag, I think the rules are you have to wear the team uniform, so anything he wore that wasn't that risked him being told not to.

 

[soloooooo]

I think it's news because it was the aboriginal flag, so you know, race relations always gets a run in the media. I think however at its most basic the issue wasn't that he wore the "wrong" flag, I think the rules are you have to wear the team uniform, so anything he wore that wasn't that risked him being told not to.

The IOC rules state

No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.

 

[Rixon]

he is part of the australian olympic team and in representing that team he is obligated to wear the official uniform

 

[townie]

The IOC rules state

Oh so the flag is propaganda now is it?