IN A ONE-man demonstration against “wokeism” Chris Nagle is waving the Australian flag at the Grantville traffic lights for eight hours today.
A woke society or wokeism, in this context, is described as a social and political movement that seeks to address and correct social injustices, inequality, and discrimination.
Australia Day has, over the past couple of decades increasingly become controversial for celebrating the colonisation of Australia on January 26.
This day also marked the start of murderous and brutal treatment of countless First Peoples, leading to the loss of culture, language and vital parts of Australia’s history, which are still felt to this day.
“It was an invasion, but only for Aboriginals. It wasn't an invasion for anyone else. It was basically a finding in Australia of a hunter gatherer society… and they'd had a holiday from the rest of the world and suddenly it was all over. Because of the economy, the economics of hunting and gathering don't work alongside a modern economy,” Chris said.
The Grantville resident believes the narrative around the inappropriateness of holding celebrations on January 26, is part of a greater movement that poses a threat to the very cultural, political and social fabric of Australia.
He believes there has become far less room for opposing viewpoints and opinions and that it is no longer acceptable to hold rigorous debate – without being labelled a bigot or racist, which he believes will inevitably lead Australia into totalitarianism.
“We're being pushed into a corner. It'll be all over in 10 years. The woke society will have won and we'll just have to suck it up,” Chris said.
“It's not political totalitarianism in the formal, old fashioned dictatorship sense. It's a public relations and marketing totalitarianism that crosses all media platforms, whereby if you step out of line, you are the problem.”
Chris is also fearful that a lack of tolerance for differing views will create dividing lines between families, communities and ultimately the country, if not the entire West, potentially leading to civil war.
Waving the flag is not an act of patriotism for Chris – something he considers right wing and reactive and labels himself a communist lefty – it is rather an act stemming from a very overt sense that there is an underlying existential crisis going on in the nation which needs attention.
“It's not about loyalty to Australia, it's about how we actually see ourselves as a nation, how we see ourselves as citizens, how we see ourselves in terms of other people who don't share that.”
Over the course of the morning while standing at the intersection, Chris has been getting beeps and waves from motorists – which he declares is likely due to demonstrating in an area where political views are more right wing and conservative – but he has also been copping a bit of abuse, but that’s water off a ducks back, he implies, and to be expected.
Through this demonstration, Chris would like people to think deeply about current rhetoric, to contemplate opposing views and to consider the trajectory and impact of these on future Australian generations.
‘If you are of a view that the woke have gone too far, you better do something, because if you don't, it's all-over Red Rover. They will take over. They are taking over, and it's all over, almost, bar the shouting now,” he declared.
