It isn't a national flag and in international eyes it is pushing internal politcal agenda which we can't have at the olympics.

I think if you open it up to one you'll starting opening everyone with an agenda

I support Patty flying the Aboriginal Flag 100%.

Aboriginal Flag is one of many Official Flags of Australia..should we ignore the history of this country and force indigenous australians to accept a flag bearing the union jack as their flag.no we shouldn't


The IOC has long had a dubious history in the nations it supports and allows to compete (look at Germany in 1936, head of the IOC opposing calls for Rhodesia & South Africa ban due to the apartheid).

there is a very good article on this and the IOC on the website below.
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/51794

Thats not true because he's hanging it over his balcony in the olympic village and not displaying it during competition so he's not gonna get in trouble at all. What he's doing is not political and the Aboriginal flag is an official flag of Australia.

I often wonder what would happen if all Indigenous sportspeople in the AFL, NRL and Olympics boycotted sport at the same time until a treaty (like the one in New Zealand) was signed, how long would it take for the Aussie government to sign one?

I reckon one week.

Or what if Patty didn't play for Australia until the government compensated his mother for being forcibly taken from her family.

I reckon there is a place in sport for making political statements.

Agree Michael Anderson

These athletes are fully aware of the rules and the team (AOC) expectations and this is one of the rules. Hence the boxer getting into trouble.

Regardless of where it is "Hanging" he knows the rules and has chosen to go against it. Same as Nick Darcey with the guns photo in the USA a few months back.

Im not saying he should not be proud of his background, but just be smart about it and hanging it out side his room is just asking for trouble.

Poor form

I think it's a load of crap. It's hardly in the Olympic spirit to punish someone for showing pride in the indigenous people of a country that is competing.

You are comparing someone who is proud of his heritage displaying his flag with two twats holding guns???
F@*k me...your kidding aren't you?
Don't you have a clan meeting to get to!?!?

How would we feel about it if it was a Chechen representing Russia hanging the Chechen flag out? Or a Palestinian representing Israel to put out a flag with the Shahadah on it, which Hamas supporters often use?

It's a tricky question. It raises memories of Tommy Smith, Peter Norman and John Carlos on the dais in Mexico in 1968. At the time, that caused a furore for the Olympic organisers, back home in the USA and Avery Brundage (US Olympic Committee) was apoplectic.

In historical context, though, it certainly had an impact in raising awareness of the USA black civil rights campaign more broadly across the world. Personally, I saw Peter Norman's support for Smith and Carlos as one of Australia's finer moments at those games.

If Mills wanted to make a point and risked condemnation from the Olympic hierarchy for hanging the flag out, then good on him. As for the Olympics transcending politics and this damaging its credibility in that context, don't say it out loud or Jacques Rogge might burst an aneurysm from laughing too hard.

He should be allowed to show it!

Those comparisons are poor ones because the aboriginal flag is recognised and accepted in Australia.

And let's not pretend the swimmers did anything wrong by posing with guns, that was a load of crap too.

Dont miss the point here. Hooper got warned the other day, and ALL the athletes know the rules.

Regardless of any athletes heritage he is in breach of the rule.

Last comment re stolen generation sounds like Piers Akerman or Keith winshuttle. Not sure where these facts could've come from.

We all know 'it's the rules', so that isnt a valid argument. It's about whether displaying an officially recognised indigenous flag over the balcony in the Olympic village should be against the rules.

There are arguments for an against, but I dont think it should be if officially recognised by the government of the country in question. I can understand it not being allowed in official arenas and during competition, but I think it is different in the village.

A long history at the Olympics of flag flying, protests, etc.

Rules are the rules.

If Patty didn't know that rule, pray the Olympics aren't held in Saudi Arabia anytime soon. The 1st ""dry" olympics, with 100's of athletes thrown into Saudi jails???

While the IOC are as corrupt as Vic coppers in the 80's, they make the rules. The original idea was that politics/war/trouble at home was forgotten - that's why Patty can't fly his "quilt" at the Olympics.

As someone else posted, allow one to do it, everyone will do it.

If someone had a tattoo of the aboriginal flag, would the rules require them to cover it while at the Olympics?

I was under the impression Patrick Mills was representing Australia at the Olympics, not indiginous Australians. Therefore, the IOC recognised flag for Australia is the only one that under the rules can be displayed.

While there are many situations where it is appropriate to promote proudly one's heritage, the Olympic rules do not allow so. Imagine if Suzi Batkovic and Alex Maric both decided to promote their heritage by wearing or displaying Serbian flags, which they have as much right to do so "ethnically" as Partick Mills has.

They represent Australia and they don't, so why is it any different for a person of Indiginous Australian descent to be able to break the rules?

There is a time and place where everyone can express their pride in their heritage - just needs to be the appropriate place.

Because Mills' descent is from the country he is representing? Maric's isnt.

#896 You will find they did it to stop the red dot in the Australian markings looking similar to markings on the Japanese Zero. To be mistaken as a pom was far better then being mistaken for the enemy.

Stuff the rules. Good job Patty.

Had it in relative privacy and it's a positive flag. Save Patty!

not sure how you make a comparison between a recognised official flag for australian heritage as the aboriginal flag is and flags from your quote "violent" conflicts.

there is nothing "political" about it.

no more points have to be made.

the aboriginal flag is accepted here in australia and we celebrate the part of aboriginals in our history.

there is no conflict in this, hence, no politcal statement is being made.

therefore, there should be no issue.

doesnt take a genius to work it out.

Don't worry Patty, they forgave Kathy for the same thing. But if you wanted to make a real statement then you should have boycotted altogether, and not played under the Union Jack.
I wonder how many athletes from other countries actually know what the flag was... or cared? So obviously it was designed to get our attention.. Or maybe you left your towl out to dry on the balcony.

PS I have no problem replacing the union jack with the aboriginal symbol next to the southern cross. It's about time we stood on our own two feet.

i dont see any problem with it. he can even carry it everywhere.

i dont know how it became political when aboriginal flag is legally hanging in every school around the country. i just dont get it.

We all love Patty so most people dont see a problem, If Nick D'Arcy was aboriginal and did it would it all be the same.

Rules will never be agreed to by everyone but they are the rules and all participants know that.

Yes it may be an official flag, but it is NOT the official Australian flag to which all athletes are representing.

It is simple, why try to over complicate it

I stand corrected, according to Wikipedia, Suzy Batkovic is of Croation descent whereas an article I saw sometime ago said she was of Serbian descent. Big difference in Balkan politics.

However, the analogy I was making still stands. It isnt your background or heritage that you are representing, it is your country you are representing that matters in regards to the rules pertaining to the "flag" you fly at the Olympics.

"Singlets" sums it up pretty well.

hate

Patty's tweeted that everything is OK re flag. Unless there's been an update since then.

Agree Japorms, the Aboriginal Flag is an official australian flag representing the first peoples of this country, its not some break away unrecognised far right separatist political movement espousing hate.

Just hope they don't send him home in disgrace (lol)
He has done Australia proud

Great article from John Pilger.

http://www.johnpilger.com/articles/how-the-chosen-ones-ended-australia-s-sporting-prowess-and-revealed-its-secret-past

Mountain out of a molehill. Big deal.

What are the 'rules' regarding athletes running the track with their flag after winning a race?? Cathy Freeman waved both flags after her victory in 2000.. Have things changed since then? Seriously how is this considered political propoganda???? Yawn...yawn..

So Ushiro...."However, the analogy I was making still stands. It isnt your background or heritage that you are representing, it is your country you are representing that matters in regards to the rules pertaining to the "flag" you fly at the Olympics."

So please explain to me what country is the Aboriginal flag from?

"I was under the impression Patrick Mills was representing Australia at the Olympics, not indiginous Australians."

I'm really confused, because you say he is meant to represent Australia but not Australians...So are you saying he should be representing Britain???