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ABC's New Year Eve fireworks broadcast faces outrage over pro-Palestine slogans

Jan 01, 2024 09:56 PM IST

ABC's New Year's Eve fireworks coverage faces backlash over controversial performances by Indigenous rap group and singer Angie McMahon's pro-Palestine comment.

The ABC has faced a backlash for its New Year’s Eve fireworks coverage, which included a controversial rap song by Indigenous group 3% and a pro-Palestine comment by singer Angie McMahon, according to Daily Mail.

ABC's New Year's Eve coverage under fire(ABC Live)
ABC's New Year's Eve coverage under fire(ABC Live)

Many Australians, especially parents of young children, were outraged by the political tone of the broadcast, which they expected to be a fun and festive celebration of the new year.

The 9 pm fireworks display, which was renamed ‘Calling Country’ by the Left-wing City of Sydney Council, featured a projection of the children’s show Bluey on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, followed by a rap song by 3% that had lyrics such as “They stole the land in the name of their kings”, ‘They locked us up and then they threw away the key’ and “You can suck my Moby D***”.

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The song was seen as a reference to the Voice to Parliament referendum, which was rejected by the majority of Australians in 2022, as well as the historical issues of colonisation and the Stolen Generation.

A ‘government propaganda’?

Some viewers accused the ABC of pushing a “woke agenda” and a “government propaganda” by choosing such a divisive song for a family-friendly event.

“It’s nothing but government propaganda and full of the woke agenda. No thanks. Greatest waste of taxpayer money. #Defund ABC,” one person wrote on X.

“Who at ABC Australia thought it was a good idea to put an awful rap group on before the early kids fireworks and then spend a large chunk of the fireworks just showing projections on the Bridge?” another said.

The criticism did not stop there, as the broadcast also featured a performance by Melbourne singer Angie McMahon, who sang Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares to You and then made a statement about the Israel-Palestine conflict, saying: “Palestinians should be free”.

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Many viewers were appalled by the singer’s remark, which they saw as inappropriate and irrelevant to the occasion.

Viewers slammed the singer as a “wannabe activist” and questioned why the tax-payer funded performances had to come with a “painful political statement”.

Another one wrote, “What ever happened to a fun night out for all without a painful political statement? It’s hard to believe this ‘unbiased’ station still exists when it’s tax payer funded and costs billions each year.”

Warren Mundine slams ABC's NYE politicization

The ABC’s New Year’s Eve coverage also sparked the ire of Warren Mundine, a prominent Aboriginal Australian and a vocal opponent of the Voice to Parliament.

Mr Mundine told Daily Mail Australia that it was ‘disgraceful’ for the ABC to politicise New Year’s Eve entertainment.

“We just want to have a relaxed start to the year and have fun, because it’s going to be a big year this year,” Mr Mundine said.

“NYE is an incredible landmark occasion for Sydney, and the world, in fact. It’s telecast all over the world, and I think people are getting sick and tired of the politicisation of things.”

“We’re sick and tired of the politicisation of everything. We Australians are pretty laid back.”

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An ABC spokesman defended the broadcast, saying it was a diverse and inclusive celebration of Australian culture and music.

He said that the 9 pm fireworks display was preceded by an exclusive viewing of Muster Dogs Series 2 and a special surprise from Bluey and Calling Country, a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities, produced by Indigenous social enterprise We Are Warriors.

He also said that ABC’s NYE concert featured some of the biggest names in Australian music, such as Jessica Mauboy, Genesis Owusu, King Stingray, Confidence Man, Angie McMahon, Mark Seymour, Grentperez and Casey Donovan.

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