It's Time We Make The Aboriginal Flag A Permanent Addition On Top Of The Sydney Harbour Bridge

    How is this not already happening?!

    As part of NAIDOC week celebrations, the Aboriginal flag was flown on the Sydney Harbour Bridge to pay tribute and show solidarity to Australia's First Nations peoples.

    A close up of Sydney Harbour Bridge with the Australian National Flag and the Aboriginal Flag

    While Australians acknowledged the symbolic gesture, they are now calling on the government to have the Aboriginal flag permanently flown on top of the Harbour Bridge all year round.

    A close up of the Aboriginal Flag

    This was backed in a post by Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore on social media, who acknowledged that while it's been "fantastic" to see the Aboriginal flag during NAIDOC week, "Sydney always was, and always will be Aboriginal land, so the flag should fly above the Harbour Bridge all year round."

    On Twitter, Moore also shared a link to an ongoing crowdfunding campaign started by local Kamilaroi woman Cheree Toka — who has been relentlessly gathering signatures and debating the issue in Parliament for the past three years.

    @ChereeToka’s petition to see the flag fly above the bridge year round has reached 167,000 signatures. You can add your name here. https://t.co/TGhQfCR5TP

    Speaking to Broadsheet last year about the importance of the campaign, Toka said: "It’s important for the flag to fly on that bridge alongside the Australian flag for [locals and] international visitors to see a representation of the true Australia, and to be able to spark a conversation about the Aboriginal people and the true history and culture of Australia."

    Currently, the two flagpoles on the Harbour Bridge are occupied by the Australian National Flag and the NSW State Flag. An exception is made to swap the latter with the Aboriginal Flag on January 26, Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week.

    A close up of the Sydney Harbour Bridge showing the Australian National Flag and NSW State Flag

    That roughly equates to 19 days — which honestly just isn't enough. The Aboriginal Flag is equal to that of the Australian National flag and shouldn't just be used on "special occasions" — it should be proudly flown all year round.

    A close up of Sydney Harbour Bridge with the Australian National Flag and the Aboriginal Flag

    The Legislative Assembly has responded to Toka's campaign, saying that the addition of an extra flagpole would be too costly. The solution? Toka is funding it herself — so if you would like to support having the Aboriginal Flag permanently flown above the Sydney Harbour Bridge, you can donate, sign the petition or call on decision makers to make this happen.

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      How is a flagpole 300,000 dollars