‘Have you been hacked?': ALP under fire for ‘repurposing racist meme' with ‘protect our Medicare' T-shirt
An Australian Labor Party social media post has left followers scratching their heads, with its apparent send-up of white nationalist messaging triggering the question: 'Have you been hacked?'
The Instagram post – which was uploaded on Sunday and then deleted on Monday – features a white man wearing a T-shirt that states, over a flag-themed map of Australia: 'THIS IS AUSTRALIA / WE EAT MEAT / WE DRINK BEER AND WE LOVE MEDICARE!'. The Instagram caption stated: 'CALLING ALL AUSSIE PATRIOTS NOW IS THE TIME TO PROTECT OUR MEDICARE.'
On Labor's TikTok feed, the same image was run alongside the same message: 'CALLING ALL AUSSIE PATRIOTS NOW IS THE TIME TO PROTECT OUR MEDICARE' with a string of Auspol hashtags. It was accompanied by a dance version of Men at Work's Down Under before it was also deleted.
The T-shirt design appears similar to an archival example of nationalist racist memorabilia held by Museums Victoria.
A navy blue version, currently held in the museum's stored collection, was one of three themed T-shirts sold online and in a Darwin shop in 2009.
'The T-shirts reflect anxieties about foreign invasions and a xenophobia,' the museum states.
'The slogans on these T-shirts are racist and seek to define Australian identity by excluding 'the other' and by excluding anyone who dares to voice criticism.
'The slogan 'This Is Australia we eat meat, we drink beer and we speak f#ckin' English' is aimed at Muslims in particular who have customs which ban alcohol and non-halal meat.'
People commenting on Instagram were surprised by Labor's version of the T-shirt.
'Have you been hacked by the far right?' one user asked.
Another wrote: 'Woof this is an odd post. But I guess toxic patriotic masculinity wins votes? 🤔'
A separate comment read: 'How cringeworthy. It's incredible that someone thought repurposing a racist meme was a good idea.'
Another person made a guess at the strategy behind the post: 'Beating the right wing snowflakes at their own game 😂'.
A Labor spokesperson on Monday said: 'Labor is seeking to reach everyone with our message that Australians value Medicare and we'll do everything we can to protect it from Peter Dutton's cuts. However, the party acknowledges this post missed the mark and it has been deleted.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
TikTok star Khaby Lame returns to social media after self-deporting for violating immigration rules
Khaby Lame has reemerged online after being kicked out of United States under President Donald Trump 's newly intensified deportation drive. In his latest Instagram Stories, Lame appeared calm and composed, strolling down a leafy street in Italy. Another frame showed him smiling alongside Brazilian soccer star Emerson Royal, who plays for AC Milan and the Brazilian national team. The images follow days of uproar after Lame, born in Senegal but raised in Chivasso, Italy, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Las Vegas 's Harry Reid International Airport on June 6. ICE claims he overstayed his visa after entering the country on April 30. He was granted 'voluntary departure', a bureaucratic euphemism for being kicked out. 'Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, was detained… for immigration violations,' ICE confirmed in a statement. 'Lame was granted voluntary departure… and has since departed the US.' Since reclaiming the presidency in January, Donald Trump has made good on campaign vows to execute mass deportations and resurrect the muscular ICE machine that defined his first term. His crackdown has swept up thousands, from undocumented workers to high-profile public figures, and even it now appears, the most-watched man on TikTok. The move drew backlash from civil liberties groups and social media users alike, many of whom questioned why a beloved Italian citizen with 162.2 million TikTok followers and brand deals with the likes of Doritos, Boss, and Binance would be treated like a national security threat. The deportation was first revealed by conservative influencer Bo Loudon, who claimed to have reported Lame and posted what he said was a screenshot from ICE's website indicating that the TikToker was being held at Henderson Detention Center in Nevada near Las Vegas. Last month, Twitch streamer Hasan Piker - better known as HasanAbi - claimed he was detained at Chicago's O'Hare Airport and interrogated by ICE agents about his political views on Trump and Hamas. His 40-minute video describing the ordeal has since racked up millions of views. In Lame's case, the optics could not have been worse. Last month he attended the prestigious Met Gala in New York, rubbing shoulders with Rihanna, Diana Ross, and fashion elite. He wore a bespoke gray zoot suit that landed him on multiple best-dressed lists. Born in Senegal and raised in public housing near Turin, Lame became famous during the pandemic after losing his job as a factory worker. Conservative influencer Bo Loudon claimed to have reported Lame's detention on June 6 and posted an alleged screenshot from the ICE website stating he was at Henderson Detention Center in Nevada (Lame's name does no longer appears in the ICE detainee database) He began posting wordless TikTok reactions that mocked the absurdity of overcomplicated 'life hack' videos offering instead a simple solution and a signature shrug. By 2022, he had surpassed Charli D'Amelio as the most-followed person on TikTok. Brands came calling with UNICEF naming him as a goodwill ambassador. He walked the runway at Milan Fashion Week and built his empire on facial expressions rather than flashy speeches. In 2022, Italy formally granted Lame citizenship after a national outcry over the delay. He celebrated the moment as a victory for immigrants like himself who grow up Italian but are often excluded by bureaucracy 'Public housing is a place to which I owe everything,' he once told an interviewer.
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Parents to be given right to request new Gaelic schools
The plans have been confirmed by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP, who is also Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, during a visit to Bun-Sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis (Inverness Gaelic Primary School). The announcement coincides with the 40th anniversary of Gaelic medium education in Scotland. The proposed Scottish Languages Bill is expected to be considered by MSPs on Tuesday 17 June. As well as establishing the right of parents to request new Gaelic-medium schools, the Bill will allow for the creation of 'areas of linguistic significance in Gaelic communities which the government says will enable ministers to 'better target policies to support the language's growth.' The new law will also establish both Gaelic and Scots as official languages, introduce specific education standards for Gaelic and Scots, and enable parents across Scotland to apply for Gaelic-medium nursery provision for their children. Recent census statistics revealed that more than 130,000 people in Scotland have some Gaelic skills, a significant increase from the levels found in 2011. The number who understand or use Scots had also risen considerably. A world-first assessment and accreditation model for Gaelic learners is also due to be introduced in Scotland following development by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture. A new strategy to support the development of Gaelic outside of school classrooms is also in development. However, there is a significant drop-off in uptake of Gaelic between primary and secondary school levels, and experts have previously warned that more must be done to promote the 'value of Gaelic' to parents and young people. READ MORE During the visit to Inverness, Ms Forbes said: 'This Bill aims to build a strong foundation to support Gaelic's continued growth following an encouraging increase in Gaelic speakers and learners across Scotland. It would boost Gaelic education provision throughout Scotland and better establish Gaelic and Scots as national languages. 'Gaelic medium education enriches communities and offers good value for money. Gaelic medium schools frequently demonstrate above average performance with some local authorities showing better grades across all qualification levels despite costs being no greater than English medium schools. 'To support the growth of Scotland's indigenous languages, we are also providing an additional £5.7 million to promote Scots and Gaelic this year.' The Bill and its provision are also supported by Scotland's Makar (national poet) Dr Peter Mackay, who writes in both English and Gaelic: 'It's fantastic to have seen the growth of Gaelic medium education over the last 40 years: it's something we should be very proud of. 'It's vital that there's ongoing support to maintain and develop Gaelic as a community language in the Highlands and Islands and to give people all over the country every chance to learn and speak it – and also to encourage Scots speakers and communities across Scotland."
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Vile LA rioters target agents at their hotels and threaten to 'burn them' as law enforcement faces death threats
In vile posts calling for violence against law enforcement, the hotels where federal agents are staying in Los Angeles have been released online, with one agitator saying 'burn them.' The exact address of where Border Patrol agents stayed in Ranch Cucamonga, California just outside LA was posted on Instagram by a self-proclaimed 'leftists'. 'ICE at Hilton, car filled goggles, tuff ties, and riot shields,' the video said, even though the cars were clearly marked Border Patrol, which is a sister agency of Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. Border Patrol has been called in to help ICE as it carried out immigration arrests in Los Angeles last week. Additionally, Border Patrol has always been able to operate within 100 miles of the US-Mexico border on its own. 'Burn them,' posted Instagram users @bobbygee57_ in response to the reel showing the agent's location. 'Got a match,' asked @joseflocas. Another user urged others to damage the tax-payer funded vehicles. Some of the commentators urges violence against Border Patrol agents 'Pop the tires and use spark plugs to break their windows.' Border Patrol agents have since relocated. 'A lot of hotels are compromised,' one agent on the ground told He speculated they might have to sleep inside federal buildings to stay safe. The agency's intelligence team had been notified of the threats against its officers. A second post made unverified claims that ICE agents had been kicked out of a hotel in Pasadena. It shared the new hotel address where the they posters claimed the agents were moving to. The @Stopicenet account shared an image of a Border Patrol truck engulfed in flames. A Free Palestine group shared instructions on how to organize against the cops in LA, saying peaceful protests don't work. 'Riots downtown are great, but what can you accomplish in small numbers, wearing a mask at night, with your phone at home,' posted @solidaritysfl. 'Showing up to a sidewalk protest with protest marshals empowers counterrevolutionary entities (liberals) to drain all the energy and radicalism into Instagram photo ops and call-your-representatives nonsense. That's not going to work. It never has. There are so many other options. If you're all alone, show up to your local Food Not Bombs (in a mask) and let's talk. We are everywhere.' Federal officials have made if clear that violence against agents will not be tolerated. 'Our law enforcement officers are just doing their jobs. Violence and intimidation against federal law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' ICE posted to X. 'Assaulting, harassing and doxing ICE officers and special agents is against the law. The Justice Department will prosecute you for these federal crimes!' Assaulting, harassing and doxing ICE officers and special agents is against the law. @thejusticedept will prosecute you for these federal crimes! — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) June 9, 2025 While most of the protestors in LA have been peaceful, some have turned to violence, including setting cars on fire and throwing items at police during demonstrations The Trump administration has argued that agent safety is one of the reason the president took the unprecedented step of calling in the national guard, despite opposition from both the governor and mayor of LA. While most protestor in LA have been peaceful, some have set cars on fire and hurled items at officers and their vehicles since the clashes started on Friday.
