Mayor says NYE fireworks show in Sydney Harbour was about ‘Blak power’

Sydney Mayor Clover Moore has defended New Year's Eve fireworks, despite the entertainment being criticized by Aussies for its political overtones.

Ms Moore was a leading supporter of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament and gave a telling hint that the evening would take on a highly political character early on Sunday evening.

In a speech on New Year's Eve, Ms Moore expressed her disappointment at the failure of the referendum, as she welcomed “70 per cent” of her electorate voting “yes” and called for “real support for our First Nations people”.

Her Sydney City Council came under fire hours later for the family-friendly fireworks display at 9pm due to the overtly political actions of Indigenous rap group 3%.

The 'Calling Country' fireworks included references to the failed Voice to Parliament referendum, the colonization of Australia and the Stolen Generation.

Several outraged Aussies took to social media to express their frustration, prompting Ms Moore to step in and defend the show.

She argued in a social media post that the show was meant to “recognize Blak Power.”

'[The] The 9pm Calling Country fireworks were all about celebrating our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” she wrote.

“It has been a difficult year for our indigenous communities as they have had to deal with the shameful referendum result.

“Tonight was about recognizing Blak's strength and resilience through music, art and fireworks.”

The city of Sydney had one of the largest yes votes in the country, along with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's electorate, Grayndler and the Australian Capital Territory.

Before the show, Ms Moore said the 9pm fireworks display – normally called family fireworks as children are less likely to wake up for the midnight show – would “honour Australia's and Sydney's indigenous heritage”.

She said the show was called “Calling Country” and was created in collaboration with Indigenous artists.

The show, Ms Moore said, would remind the world that 'Sydney is a global city… inclusive and diverse for all communities'.

Elsewhere in that New Year's Eve speech, Ms. Moore expressed hope that “2024 would be a much better year than 2023, with an end to the destruction of communities in Gaza, Israel and Ukraine.”

The fireworks broadcast also featured Melbourne singer Angie McMahon, who not only took to the stage to sing Nothing Compares to You by Sinead O'Connor, but also made a statement about the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

McMahon took the opportunity to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during her set, telling the audience, “Palestinians must be free.”

Ms Moore also called for a halt to the approval of coal mines and gas projects.

The taxpayer-funded national broadcaster has been widely criticized for their coverage of Sydney's 9pm New Year's Eve fireworks display, which was watched by millions of Australians, many of whom were under 12 years old.

In a widely shared New Year's Eve speech, Ms. Moore (pictured wearing a Yes shirt and holding an umbrella) called for “real support for our First Nations people after this year's No vote in Federal Parliament.” noting that she was “very proud that 70 percent of our townspeople voted yes.”

The no vote was devastating for strong advocates. In the photo: Yes supporters react after it became clear on October 14 that the vote would fail

She was later asked why there was even a need for a “Calling Country” show in the timeslot that normally places a high priority on children's entertainment.

Ms Moore argued that the show's name has not been changed for three years, which is an indication that Sydney is “proud to celebrate the world's oldest culture”.

The taxpayer-funded national broadcaster has been widely criticized for their coverage of Sydney's 9pm New Year's Eve fireworks display, which was watched by millions of Australians, many of whom were under 12 years old.

While the screening before the 9pm fireworks display featured a projection of popular children's show Bluey onto the pillars of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, it also featured an overtly political performance from Indigenous rap group 3%.

The group's song “Our People” includes lyrics such as “They stole the land in the name of their kings,” “They locked us up and then they threw away the key,” and “You can suck my Moby D*** '.

However, several changes were made to the song to accommodate the family-friendly show, with the final lyrics being changed to 'You gon' sink this Moby ship'.

Rising Melbourne singer Angie McMahon also faced backlash for her involvement in the much-criticized show. She took to the stage in a 'no kids in jail' shirt, referencing a campaign to raise the age of criminal responsibility in Australia, which is currently 10 years old.

The display showed a projection of the popular children's show Bluey on the pillars of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, before the 9pm fireworks

The references to the failed Voice to Parliament referendum, the colonization of Australia and the Stolen Generation led critics to question why the ABC chooses to politicize New Year's Eve every year.

And rising Melbourne singer Angie McMahon also faced backlash for her involvement in the much-criticized show.

She took to the stage wearing a 'no kids in prison' shirt, referencing a campaign to raise the age of criminal responsibility in Australia, which is currently 10 years old.

She then waded into the conflict between Israel and Hamas, telling the crowd, “Palestinians must be free.”

Viewers called the singer a “wannabe activist” and wondered why the taxpayer-funded performances had to come with a “painful political statement.”

And her social media pages have been flooded with mixed reviews from fans and viewers.

Some say they found her music thanks to the political statement and are new fans, while others accused her of “selective morality.”

It also featured an overtly political performance by indigenous rap group 3%

Daily Mail Australia approached both Ms McMahon and Ms Moore's office about the show's public reception.

Prominent anti-Voice campaigner Warren Mundine told Daily Mail Australia it was “disgraceful” that New Year's Eve entertainment was being politicized.

“We just want to have a relaxed start to the year and have fun because it's going to be a big one this year,” Mr Mundine said.

“NYE is an incredible milestone for Sydney, and indeed for the world. It's being broadcast all over the world and I think people are getting tired of the politicization of things.

“We are tired of the politicization of everything. We Australians are quite relaxed.'

An ABC spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that family viewing was an important part of the broadcast.

He said the lead-up to the fireworks included an exclusive viewing of Muster Dogs Series 2, as well as a special surprise of Bluey and Calling Country, a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities produced by Indigenous social enterprise We Are Warriors.

“The ABC's NYE ​​concert also featured the biggest names in Australian music, including Jessica Mauboy, Genesis Owusu, King Stingray, Confidence Man, Angie McMahon, Mark Seymour, Grentperez and the Queen of New Year's Eve, Casey Donovan,” the spokesperson said.

“The ABC is a proud supporter of all aspects of Australian culture and entertainment on New Year's Eve and every other night of the year.”