Pub chain owner backtracks on plans to ban Australia Day celebrations after outcry
CNN
A major Australian restaurant group known for its pubs has backtracked on plans to ban celebrations during the country’s national day following public criticism and calls for a boycott, in yet another sign of how controversial the anniversary has become.
A major Australian restaurant group known for its pubs has backtracked on plans to ban celebrations during the country’s national day following public criticism and calls for a boycott, in yet another sign of how controversial the anniversary has become. Debate continues to swirl over whether to commemorate January 26, the date that British Royal Navy officer Arthur Phillip crossed Sydney Cove in 1788, planting the Union Jack to proclaim the new colony for the Crown. An increasing number of non-Indigenous Australians now find it difficult to celebrate Australia Day, in the knowledge that many of their Indigenous fellow citizens treat it as a day of mourning. Australian Venue Co, which has more than 200 outlets across the country, said over the weekend that it was banning celebrations on the public holiday. According to CNN affiliate 9 News, the group said the day was known for causing “sadness” and “hurt” for many patrons and staff. The announcement resulted in petitions against the ban and swift online calls for a boycott of the group’s bars and pubs. On Monday, the company reversed course. “It’s not for us to tell anyone whether or how to celebrate Australia Day,” it said in a statement posted on social media. “It certainly wasn’t our intention to offend anyone.”