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Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Petition against Rotorua Stockcar Club's Confederate emblem gathers support

Samantha Olley
By Samantha Olley
Rotorua Daily Post·
19 Jun, 2020 03:40 PM3 mins to read

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Rotorua Stockcar Club fans in 2014. Photo / File

Rotorua Stockcar Club fans in 2014. Photo / File

The Rotorua Stockcar Club's "appalling" emblem - the Confederate flag - is now the subject of a petition.

In the past week, Black Lives Matter advocates in New Zealand have deemed the club's continued use of the flag "deeply disturbing" and "a metaphoric slap in the face".

On Sunday, the club confirmed members would decide whether to "rebrand" at their annual general meeting in July, and said the flag was "innocently introduced" in 1985.

Rotorua MP Todd McClay. Photo / File
Rotorua MP Todd McClay. Photo / File

Then, on Tuesday, Rotorua MP Todd McClay said he didn't think the club should change the flag because locals had "much more important things" to think about, such as job losses.

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Wellington man Ben Aulakh has since started a petition calling on the club to oust the emblem.

He described the Confederate flag as "one of the most potent symbols of slavery and oppression" and said the club's attachment to it was "appalling".

The Wellington man, who has both Indian and Caucasian ethnicity, emailed the club asking if members would take the petition into consideration at their AGM and if they would have "constructive dialogue" with him about it.

But todayclub secretary Sonja Hickey, who also oversees the teams and promotions, sent a response to Aulakh, who has forwarded it to NZME, saying members wouldn't require his help.

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Rotorua Stockcar Club secretary Sonja Hickey. Photo / File
Rotorua Stockcar Club secretary Sonja Hickey. Photo / File

"We have a broad demographic of members and are culturally very diverse, a number of our executive are in fact Māori and we have an even number on the executive of both male and females."

She said some members were solicitors, policemen and policewomen and others were "very successful business owners".

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"I think we have a sufficient cross-section of society to reach an informed and rational decision on the way forward."

"We will not be entering into any further correspondence with you," Hickey added.

Black Lives Matter protest in Auckland earlier this month. Photo / File
Black Lives Matter protest in Auckland earlier this month. Photo / File

Aulakh was unhappy with the response but said it had not dampened his resolve.

Aulakh said he would be "keeping up the pressure".

"I want to make this really clear. I am not out to try to demonise the club. I'm not trying to set out to make them a target of outrage and ridicule," he said.

Rotorua Stockclub Team car (in air) racing in 2014. Photo / File
Rotorua Stockclub Team car (in air) racing in 2014. Photo / File

He was "blown away" by the 120 signatures he had collected since the petition started online on Wednesday.

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READ MORE:
• Premium - Rotorua Stockcar Club shouldn't oust Confederate flag, says MP Todd McClay
• 'Embroiled in a controversy': Rotorua Stockcar Club to rethink Confederate flag
• George Floyd protests: Rotorua Rebels and Rascals stockcar teams urged to stop using Confederate flag
• Motorsport: NASCAR bans Confederate flag from its races and properties

Hickey refused to comment to NZME when contacted about the petition today .

Last week the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (Nascar) banned the Confederate flag, which had been a regular sight at US and Canadian stock car events for more than 70 years, from its races and properties.

The decision followed the international outcry over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while being restrained by police in Minneapolis last month, prompting Black Lives Matter protests around the world.

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