An Australia Day Billboard Has Been Removed After Receiving Threats From Right Wing Trolls

Australia Day has courted controversy this year, with a movement to change the date of the national celebration gaining significant momentum, and a "We Love Our Lamb" advertisement winning points for diversity but losing points for glossing over the whole Invasion Day thing.

Proving the issue is only getting more heated, a billboard advertising an Australia Day flag-raising ceremony in Melbourne has been removed after billboard company QMS received complaints from far-right fringe groups over its depiction of two women wearing hijabs, in front of an Australian flag.

The digital billboard, endorsed by the Victorian Government and sponsored by RACV, advertised the location and time of a January 26 flag-raising ceremony in Melbourne garden next week. With a rotating slideshow of images of people from various cultural backgrounds, its choice to depict two young women of Islamic faith appeared to reflect the racially diverse population demographics of Docklands and nearby Footscray.

Unfortunately for billboard company QMS, which hosted the advertisement, the far-right Facebook group Pauline Hanson / One Nation Supporters & Discussion Forum started sharing images of the offending hijab-wearers among its 30,000 members—most of whom were heavily critical of the "politically correct" choice to depict non-white people in an advertisement for Australia Day. After receiving complaints, QMS removed the billboard on Tuesday.

Although not officially affiliated with the conservative One Nation party, the Pauline Hanson / One Nation Supporters & Discussion Forum states in its description that "we are working with One Nation for membership/ merchandise drives and have had consistent communication with One Nation and input from One Nation officials" Leader of the party Pauline Hanson has frequently pushed for a nationwide burqa ban. She was also the only federal politician in Australia to receive the dubious honour of an invite to the Trump inauguration this weekend.

When contacted by VICE, QMS declined to comment on the billboard or the reasons behind its removal. On his Twitter page, Victorian Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott said he supported the advertisement and regretted that it had been taken down. "#OzDay is about celebrating not only our differences but the things we share: ie love for Aust!", he said.

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