War veterans horrified by ‘disgusting’ burning of Australian flags at anti-islam protests
- Returned and Services League condemns flag-burning scenes
- 'To burn anyone’s flag in anyone’s country is disgusting,' says spokesman
- State Veterans Affairs Minister calls images in Melbourne 'sickening'
- On Saturday anti-Islam and anti-racism groups clashed nastily
- Despite outrage it is not illegal to burn the Australian flag
Images
of the Australian flag being burned just three weeks before Anzac Day
has angered the Returned and Services League (RSL) who branded the
scenes 'disgusting'.
Protests
on Saturday in Melbourne turned violent when anti-Islam and anti-racism
groups clashed, leading to the national flag being burned by
anti-racism protesters.
Police
were forced to separate Reclaim Australia supporters - who were holding
nationwide rallies against 'sharia law, halal tax and Islamisation' -
and opposing anti-racism protesters by forming a wall at separate
rallies.
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The Returned and Services League
called the scenes of anti-racism protesters burning the Australian flag
in Melbourne as 'disgusting'
Anti-racism protesters burned the flag during clashes with Reclaim Australia supporters
Crowd
numbers continued to grow throughout the afternoon, and some protesters
had to be treated by paramedics after the ugly clashes.
But it was the burning of the national flag by anti-racism protesters in Melbourne that enraged the RSL.
‘To
burn anyone’s flag in anyone’s country is disgusting. It’s just not on.
I’m sure it’s just not RSLs either, but any business or company would
be angered by this sort of behaviour,’ a spokesman for the RSL in Sydney
told Daily Mail Australia.
State Veterans Affairs Minister David Elliott slammed the behaviour in Melbourne
The flag-burning came as simultaneous rallies held by anti-Islam and anti-racism protesters took place across the country
'You
have to wonder the way the world is headed these days to be quite
honest. It’s just disgusting. You just don’t do that, whatever your
beliefs are.
'Sadly
enough we seem to live in a day and age where people seem to think that
this is something that’s perfectly acceptable to do, when it quite
obviously is not.’
The Daily Telegraph reports
that State Veterans Affairs Minister David Elliott also blasted the
behaviour, as 'an insult to those who have served under the flag’.
'The people who do this are only doing it to seek attention and should apologise to veterans,' he said.
'There
are long-held protocols on how we treat the Australian national flag
and for people to set it alight in an attempt to gain attention is
sickening and an offence to all those who have sacrificed their life in
the service of our flag.'
It
is not illegal to burn the Australian flag. Two bills in 2003 and 2008
seeking to outlaw the practice failed to pass the senate.
One man tried to take the law into his own hands and stop the flag from being burned. But he was pulled away by protesters
Across
the country, 16 rallies were scheduled to take place, with events in
Sydney and Melbourne appearing to have drawn the biggest crowds.
About
500 people attended the rally held in Martin Place, Sydney, which
included speeches from former Australia Defence League member Shermon
Burgess and Rise Up! Australia Party NSW President Norm Bishop.
In
Melbourne, protesters clashed with anti-racism activists in Federation
Square. Two people were arrested after they attempted to break through a
police barricade that separated the different groups.
It is not illegal to burn the
Australian flag. Two bills in 2003 and 2008 seeking to outlaw the
practice failed to pass the senate.
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