THE AGE
Aboriginal groups irate over Olympic flag ban
By PADRAIC MURPHY
Sunday 20 August 2000
In a move that has outraged Aboriginal groups, the Sydney
Organising Committee for the Olympic Games has banned
spectators and athletes from taking the Aboriginal flag into
Games venues.
SOCOG staff have been told to confiscate the flag. People
who refuse risk being thrown out of the Games.
The ban could be extended to people who wear an image of
the Aboriginal flag on their clothing.
The decision means Cathy Freeman will not be allowed to
repeat her controversial victory performance at the 1994
Commonwealth Games and wrap herself in the Aboriginal
and Australian flags should she win the 400 metres final.
"What's so threatening about a piece of red, black and yellow
material?" asked chairwoman of the Metropolitan Land
Council in Sydney, Jenny Munro.
"We all have rights in a democracy. These are draconian measures."
SOCOG spokesman Milton Cockburn said the Aboriginal flag would be
confiscated
from spectators and competitors, as it breached International Olympic
Committee
rules.
"Flags from non-participating countries will be confiscated by our
access control
staff," he said.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission chairman Geoff Clark
said the ban
would further inflame tensions between organisers and Aboriginal
communities in the
lead-up to the Games.
"Why shouldn't people be able to bring in our flag?" he said "It's
officially recognised,
the Games are on Aboriginal land, and the flag acknowledges Aboriginal
people."
The ban would further Aboriginal groups' resolve to use the Games to
inform the
world of their plight, he said.
"The growing frustration of Aboriginal people is obvious," Mr Clark
said.
Sources said the ban was part of an SOCOG push to make the Games as free
of
controversy as possible.
But Aboriginal groups said the ban was heavy-handed and would present a
further
obstacle to reconciliation.
Ms Munro said the policy had the potential to be a public relations
disaster, especially
if Cathy Freeman won gold.
"They will have exactly the sort of trouble they're trying to avoid,"
she said. "They
are meant to be trying to promote our flag and our culture."
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