Hotel sparks controversy after BANNING patrons from wearing anything bearing the national flag on Australia Day
- A pub banned its patrons from displaying the Australian flag on Australia Day
- The Newtown Hotel penned a sign that said there was a single-day ‘dress code’
- Some punters have slammed the move as ‘ridiculous’ while others have lauded it
- Hotel previously decided not to show the Melbourne Cup as political statement
A pub barred its patrons from wearing any attire bearing the Australian flag on Australia Day.
The Newtown Hotel, in Sydney’s inner-west, left some scratching their heads on Saturday when a sign out front informed customers they’d be turned away if the flag was displayed.
‘Newtown Hotel respectfully declines to be part of the 26th of January as the land was not ceded,’ the sign reads.
A pub has controversially barred its patrons from displaying Australian flag on Australia Day
‘Today there is a dress code and that involves no Australian flag attire and accessories.’
Some punters online were less than thrilled with the decision, saying it was ‘un-Australian’ to ban the flag.
‘Can’t wear the Australian flag in Australia? Ridiculous,’ one wrote.
‘But [it] will have a colonial style building on Aboriginal ground profiting money selling alcohol?’ another asked.
Adversely, many were in favour for the move, sharing messages of support with red, yellow and black heart emojis, representing the colours of the Aboriginal flag.
‘Big UPS (sic) to these guys!!’ one person wrote with the hashtag ‘always was, always will be’.
‘That’s awesome,’ wrote another.
The Newtown Hotel (pictured) displayed the sign, saying the Australian flag went against a ‘dress code’
The stance is the latest in a series of political statements the Newtown Hotel has made in the past couple of years.
Most recently, they decided against broadcasting last year’s Melbourne Cup as a sign of solidarity against the horse racing industry.
Management at the Newtown Hotel declined to comment.
Some critics said banning the flag on Australia Day was ‘un-Australian’. Pictured is an attendee of the Australia Day Parade in Melbourne