'Bill Leak is a racist': Protestors storm Q&A
Emotional members of the audience brought the ABC's Q&A program to a sudden halt on Monday night labelling controversial cartoonist Bill Leak “a racist”.
Leak’s work and recent passing were the subject of much discussion on the program, with social media users even celebrating his death online.
Australian author and guest panellist Mem Fox labeled the comments regarding Leak’s death as “insulting and offensive”, however not everyone in the crowd agreed.
“Bill Leak is a racist,” one audience member yelled in response.
“We won’t stand for it.”
Guest host, comedian Tom Ballard didn’t attempt to play down the protests but instead played on the “passion” of the audience members as a way to illustrate just how divisive Leak’s work often was.
“Okay, we have some people protesting in the room, we appreciate your passion very much and we understand why you want to make a stand at this particular moment,” Ballard said.
“We appreciate you being here, honestly, but we do have to continue with the discussion so we’ll have to ask you to head out.”
Panel members did however take aim at Leak’s infamous 2016 cartoon, depicting an Indigenous man with a beer can who could not remember his son's name.
"I don't think he [Leak] would have gotten away with it in Canada," panellist, Canadian singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright said.
"In North America there's some parallel histories, but that kind of stuff, those kind of drawings and satires were given up a while ago."
The protestors were eventually removed but did manage to draw some applause for their objections.
