
In 1971 the South African Rugby league team was scheduled to tour Australia and were on their way to Brisbane as part of the tour. But well before that, a movement against the pro-apartheid National Government of South Africa, that had been in power since the end of the second world war.
Protesters gathered outside the Tower Mill Hotel where the South African team was staying, demanding an end to apartheid and an end to the tour, but then Premier Joh Belkie-Peterson moved the game from Ballymore to the Exhibition Grounds, declared a state of emergency that would last a month and brutally cracked down on protesters, including reassigning 600 rural police to quell the protests.
The tour did end up going ahead, but it marked an early point in a campaign of international pressure on the Nationalists and turned a spotlight on the abuses of the Belkie-Peterson Government.
This is the topic of one of the panels at the Brisbane Writers Festival this year, Political Football, the radical history of the Anti-apartheid protests in Brisbane, on the 50th anniversary of the event.
Alexis Pink interviews Anthony Abrahams, former Australian Rugby player and the lead voice in the sport at the time for severing sporting ties with apartheid South Africa.
[Photo courtesy of the Brisbane Writers Festival]

Your 11AM Zedlines with Liv and Annabel
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Your 10AM Zedlines with Annabel and Liv

Your 8AM Zedlines with Annabel and Liv

Your 11am Zedlines with Aliyah, Anastasia and Sydney!
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Your 10am Zedlines with Sydney, Anastasia and Aliyah!

Your 9am Zedlines with Aliyah, Sydney and Anastasia!
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Your 8am Zedlines with Anastasia, Sydney and Aliyah!

Your 10AM Zedlines with Bella and Eiri
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ZEDLINES, FRIDAY MAY 2025, 11AM
Your 11AM Zedlines with Chloe, Tasha and Joe.
In breaking news QPS have enforced a 3 hour evacuation notice to personnel involved in the Goori Camp Embassy at Barrambin Victoria Park. A large police and fire presence has been reported to be on site complete with UAV drones as they survey the area.

ZEDLINES, 29 May 2026, 8AM
Your 8AM Zedlines with Bella and Eiri
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Your 9AM Zedlines with Cece sunshine and Maya

Your 10AM Zedlines with Megan and Cece Sunshine

Your 11am Zedlines with Calani and Ash

Your 10 am Zedlines Konrad and Angela

Your 8am Zedlines with Angela and Konrad

Your 11am Zedlines with Annabel and Liv.

Your 10am Zedlines with Jasper and Charlie.

Your 9am headlines with Liv and Annabel

Your 8am Zedlines with Jasper and Charlie

Your 11am Zedlines with Sydney and Mario!

Your 10AM Zedlines with Aliyah and Anastasia.

Your 9AM Zedlines with Sydney, Frankee, and Mario.

Your 8AM Zedlines with Anastasia & Aliyah.

Your 11AM Zedlines with Tasha and Eiri

Your 10AM Zedlines with Bella and Joe

Your 9AM Zedlines with Eiri and Tasha

Your 8AM Zedlines with Bella and Joe.

Your 11am Zedlines with Maddie and Angela