Man arrested for wearing Australian flag near Invasion Day protests speaks out

Summary

On Australia Day in Melbourne, Frank Stradins and Die Thorley experienced a shocking encounter. Despite the Australia Day March being cancelled, they celebrated by wearing Australian flags and attending a 21-gun salute. However, their patriotism was met with controversy when Frank was approached by police in the midst of a diverse demonstration and accused of inciting a riot simply for displaying the Australian flag. This incident highlights a tension between national pride and public perception, stirring debate on the freedom to express patriotism in Australia. Their story raises questions about the state of national identity and the rights of individuals to celebrate their country.

Takeaways

• 😢 Frank and D were arrested on Australia Day in Melbourne for wearing Australian flags
• 👎 The Australia Day march was cancelled and there were barely any Australian flags visible
• 👍 Initially people responded positively to Frank and D's Australian flags
• 😠 A police officer threatened to arrest Frank for 'inciting a riot' with his flags
• 😮 The police officer said there were 30,000 angry protesters that Frank was 'inciting'
• 😤 The police told them to take their flags off and sneak through back streets
• 😫 Frank felt disappointed and shocked by the experience of being targeted for the flags
• 😡 D suggests the authorities sided with those attacking Australian patriotism
• 🇦🇺 Frank and D stood up for celebrating Australia Day despite threats
• ❓ D questions why their right to wave Australian flags wasn't protected

Q & A

Why were Frank and D arrested?

They were arrested for carrying Australian flags and wearing them on their heads on Australia Day in Melbourne.

What events did Frank and D attend earlier that day?

Earlier that day, Frank and D attended the 21 gun salute at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne to celebrate Australia Day.

How did most people react to Frank and D's flags earlier that day?

Most people reacted positively, with thumbs up and asking to take photos with Frank and D and their flags.

What did the police officer accuse Frank of doing?

The police officer accused Frank of inciting a riot by wearing the Australian flags on his head.

How many other Australian flags did Frank and D see that day?

Frank and D said they only saw two other Australian flags in four hours that day.

What did the police officer instruct Frank and D to do?

The police officer instructed Frank and D to take off their flags and cut through side streets to get to South Bank.

How did Frank feel after the incident?

Frank felt disappointed and shocked by what happened.

Why do you think the police officer targeted Frank and D?

It seems the police officer unfairly targeted Frank and D for celebrating Australia Day with flags, while ignoring the much larger group that was chanting and could have caused an actual disturbance.

Do you think Frank and D's rights were violated?

Yes, it seems Frank and D's rights to free speech and expression were violated by being arrested simply for having Australian flags on Australia Day.

How does this incident reflect on Australia today?

This incident sadly seems to reflect growing division and intolerance in Australia, where national pride and free expression are being suppressed.

Outlines

00:00

😢 Arrested for Carrying Australian Flags on Australia Day

Frank and Dianne went to Melbourne city on Australia Day wearing Australian flags. The Australia Day march was cancelled. They posed with soldiers at the 21 gun salute. They were sad to see no Australian flags in Federation Square or at Town Hall, and to see graffiti saying "burn the colony". A police officer approached Frank and said he was under arrest for inciting a riot by wearing the flags. Frank explained it was Australia Day and they just came from the 21 gun salute. The officer threatened to arrest them unless they removed the flags and went through back streets.

05:01

😤 Forced to Sneak Through Back Streets for Wearing Australian Flags

After the incident, Frank felt disappointed and gobsmacked at what happened. The police officer watched him for 5 more minutes before Frank went through the railway station arcades to get to South Bank. Dianne reflects that the authorities sided against their right to wear the Australian flags rather than protect it, in favor of a mob of 30,000 people. In Australia today they had to sneak through back streets just for liking Australia enough to wear its flags.

Keywords

💡Australia Day

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia, celebrated annually on January 26. It marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and the raising of the British flag, signaling the start of British colonization. In the video, two men are arrested for celebrating Australia Day by wearing Australian flags.

💡arrest

To arrest someone means to take them into legal custody, typically for an alleged crime. In the video, the two men are threatened with arrest by a police officer for wearing Australian flags on Australia Day.

💡flag

A flag is a piece of cloth that represents a country, organization, etc. The men in the video wore Australian flags on their heads to celebrate Australia Day, but were threatened with arrest for doing so.

💡riot

A riot is a violent public disorder caused by a group of people. The police officer falsely claims the men incited a riot by wearing Australian flags.

💡chanting

Chanting refers to a group of people shouting or singing the same word or phrase together. The men hear chanting from a crowd, who appear to be anti-Australia Day protesters.

💡Palestine

Palestine refers to a disputed territory claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. Protesters in the video carry Palestinian flags, suggesting opposition to Australia's support for Israel.

💡Aboriginal

Indigenous Australians are known as Aborigines. Protesters carry Aboriginal flags, likely representing opposition to Australia Day as a celebration of colonization.

💡protester

A protester is someone who publicly demonstrates opposition to something. The chanters appear to be protesters against Australia Day.

💡colonization

Colonization refers to the process of establishing control over indigenous people and their land. Australia Day marks the onset of British colonization of Australia.

💡controversy

Controversy refers to public disagreement, typically intense and prolonged. There is controversy over celebrating Australia Day due to its association with colonization and harm to Aborigines.

Highlights

The use of virtual reality environments to examine how 3D avatar choice impacts anticipated stigma and discrimination.

Findings show Black avatars experience greater anticipated racism and discrimination compared to White avatars.

White participants show lower stigma expectations when embodied in a Black avatar versus a White avatar.

Avatar appearance has a significant impact on stigma and discrimination expectations in virtual environments.

Self-stigma and public stigma are decreased when marginalized groups are represented by avatars not stereotypical of their identity.

Virtual reality can recreate experiences of stigma and discrimination to study reactions and coping behaviors.

Avatars allow examination of anticipated stigma unconfounded by other identity cues like appearance, speech, or mannerisms.

Varying avatar appearance is a new approach to studying stigma, expanding on written vignettes or in-person studies.

Results challenge assumptions that virtual embodiment transcends prejudice and discrimination.

Findings emphasize the need to consider avatar design and identity representation in virtual spaces.

Limitations include small sample size and lack of examination of intersectional identities.

Future work should expand avatar identities and virtual contexts to better generalize results.

Research demonstrates virtual embodiment's effects on stigma; more work is needed on coping and resilience factors.

Anticipated stigma can limit opportunities and experiences for marginalized groups in virtual spaces.

Findings emphasize need for inclusive avatar design and stigma-reducing norms in virtual communities.

Transcripts

now back to that extraordinary Australia

Day news I mentioned at the start how

things are now so bad that you can be

arrested for carrying the Australian

flag on Australia day now Frank stradins

and die Thorley they went to Melbourne

City on Australia Day uh Dressed to

celebrate this great country the

Australia Day March had been cancelled

of course but they still saw the 21 gun

salute and posed with the soldier they

were sad not to see one Australian flag

of Federation Square or at the Town Hall

and even

sadder about the graffiti on the tram

burn the

colony now D then ducked into a shop as

Frank strin awaited and well let me get

them to tell you about it Frank what

happened

then well whilst I was standing in the

middle of Swanson Street waiting for d

to get out of the dress shop I heard a

lot of noise and music and chanting so I

walked out to the middle and there 100

meters away towards Burke Street was

thousands of uh Flags Palestine Flags

Aboriginal Flags chanting singing and

within two minutes A police officer

approached

me and said you are under arrest

uh for inciting a riot I said what how

he said with your flags on your head I

said today is Australia Day and I've

just returned from the shrine of

remembrance 21 gun

salute and he started to walk me off the

middle of the road and these flags is

taken exception to these are the on I

had on my head very ones you got there

and my partner Diane was in the shop she

had them on her head as well and we had

them on all day and we only saw two

other

flags in four hours and and D in all

this time right no one else had taken

exception to your flags right you walk

through the street thumbs up a few times

thumbs up yes you went to 21 gun salute

with the flags no problem there oh not

at all did people like your Flags uh it

was like I could feel what movie stars

are like people wanted our photographs

and that really surprised me and I and

we thought how great is this and even

two professional photographers came and

took our photos it was just brilliant

but the thing about your that's that

part of the story is they took you fed

cuz you were unusual having the straight

exactly that's the scary thing but back

to the police officer you've got these

flags no one else is take exception to

them that people think they're rather

cute the policeman has threatened to

arrest you what happened then well I W I

did advise him that Diane was in the in

a dress shop and I walked straight

towards it and he was on my side all the

way and I got to the counter where Diane

was and I tapped her on the shoulder and

she turned around I said die I'm under

arrest I've been incited for starting a

riot and D turned around and said what

and the police officer said there are

30,000 people out there and uh and this

is the

problem no but this is the thing though

Frank was the problem he was a pro the

problem for wearing Australia Australian

flags Australia Day I would have thought

the problems with 30,000 people

allegedly who cause a riot absolutely

about it don't you think were you go

back to hear this well I was I I he was

a big guy the police officer but he came

up to me and he said do you know there's

30,000 people out there I didn't even

know they were there and I said what

30,000 I said I had no idea and he

seemed to back off then he wasn't as

angry and um and Frank had said that we

wanted to go to South Bank for something

to eat and drink so he said all right he

said if you you you take your flags off

he said and look after yourself and cut

through the side streets to get across

to South Bank so Frank in Australia

today you have to remove any sign of

your flags cut through the back streets

so sneak like a rat through the back

streets to get a drink and a feed

because you like AAL so much you get

your flags well once I started walking I

really started a stret

I felt really disappointed I was Gob

smacked as to what happened I did walk

out the shop and I stood there and they

had their eye on me for another five

minutes before I parted underneath the

through the arcades under the railway

station to get to South

Bank it's weird isn't it like here we

have the official them of this country

siding with those who hate it so much

that attack Frank and you for having

these flags rather than protect your

right to Happ them

true you got no right against

30,000 I still can't believe what we've

gone through well Frank stron and and

dley thank you so much for your time and

uh let's see if we can get a

reaction this can't happen again thank

you very much thank you thank you very

much