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BRISBANE - Attempts to discourage music fans from taking the Australian flag to the Big Day Out concert in Sydney is political correctness gone mad, federal Labor Leader Kevin Rudd says.
Organisers of the Sydney Big Day Out (BDO) have asked fans to leave Australian flags, and flag bandannas, at home because of fears some people could use them to incite ethnic violence.
They today denied reports they had banned the use of flags at the event, saying they were "simply discouraging its use for anti-social purposes".
The BDO will be held on Thursday at the Sydney showground at Olympic Park.
Mr Rudd said organisers should throw out troublemakers instead of discouraging the use of the flag.
"This is political correctness gone mad," he told reporters in Brisbane.
"If you've got a problem with crowd control, you just toss out the people who are mucking up.
"What is not acceptable is unruly behaviour, in particular violent behaviour."
- AAP
