The vision of an Indigenous man setting the Australian flag on fire during a protest on Monday has drawn ire from across the political spectrum, as the real reason for the act has been revealed.
The Indigenous leader, named Moojidji, lit the flag while addressing the crowd at the Invasion Day rally in Queens Gardens in Brisbane.
Moojidji said he burned the flag to challenge Australia’s legal legitimacy.
He said the act represented a stand for sovereignty against an ‘illegal entity of law’ and that the Australian flag ‘doesn’t represent all of us.’
Moojidji added: ‘We chant for land rights. We’re not just chanting for ourselves as human beings, we’re chanting for country.’
The crowd could be heard cheering as the flag was set alight before the flames were stamped out on the ground.
His actions garnered widespread criticism from the federal and Queensland state governments, the opposition, and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
The federal government said it deplores the actions of those who desecrate the Australian national flag.
Indigenous leader Moojidji said he burned the flag to challenge Australia’s legal legitimacy
The crowd at the Invasion Day rally could be heard cheering as the flag was set alight
‘The overwhelming majority of Australians have no time for this divisive behaviour,’ Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman said.
‘The Australian national flag, the Aboriginal flag, and Torres Strait Islander flag should all be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as the nation’s most important national symbols.
‘In certain circumstances, conduct associated with desecration of a flag may constitute an offence.’
It’s understood Queensland Police were aware of the incident but were not considering charges.
Senator Pauline Hanson said the flag burner was ‘un-Australian.’
‘I have no time for them if they want to burn the Australian flag. They’ve lost me completely,’ she told the Courier Mail.
‘They can’t change history. No one can but we must unite. We’re all Australians.’
It comes just one week after the federal opposition tried — and failed — to ban flag burning in parliament as part of the new hate speech laws.
Thousands of people gathered in support of the Indigenous community on Monday
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said the flag burner was ‘un-Australian’
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the flag wasn’t up for ‘redefinition by anyone.’
‘The Liberal Party moved to ban flag burning because we believe our national symbols deserve protection and respect, not destruction and stunts for attention,’ Ley said.
‘Every Australian has the right to peaceful protest, but there is no right to vandalise or desecrate the national flag.’
However, Greens councillor Trina Massey defended the flag burning and said the Indigenous community should have the right to act as they want to on a day of mourning.
An Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) poll released in August showed 77 per cent of Australians believed burning the national flag should be against the law.
This includes 76 per cent of Australians aged 18–24.
Sixty‑three per cent of Australians also believe people who burn the national flag should face jail time.
IPA’s Deputy Executive Director Daniel Wild said the poll shows Australians are united in their pride in the flag.
Invasion Day rallies were held across Australia on January 26, pictured here in Melbourne
‘Australians have had an absolute gutful of radical activists burning the Australian flag. It is a wake-up call for our out-of-touch and weak political class – mainstream Australians want harsh consequences for the desecration of their flag,’ Mr Wild said.
‘The right to freedom of speech and the ability for Australians to peacefully protest must be always be sacrosanct.
‘However, this poll makes clear that the denigration and desecration of our key civic symbols has gone unchecked by our leaders for too long and will no longer be tolerated.’
It was also reported Queensland Police were forced to separate protesters in Brisbane’s CBD after two people carrying Australian flags arrived at the Invasion Day rally.
Police spoke with a woman who brandished an Australian flag, as Invasion Day protesters yelled across the street at her.
The woman was heard saying ‘I have a right to stand here’ while she spoke to police.
Several people could be heard yelling ‘f*** off’ at the woman who was surrounded by police before she was moved on.
