Stop the Chop sign turfed, vaginal health campaign stays
A Stop the Chop campaign billboard was removed from a prominent Adelaide site after just 36 hours. Protesters made a farewell video.
A Stop the Chop sign at one of the state’s busiest intersections has been pulled less than two days after launching, with a vaginal health advertisement remaining in its place.
The campaign advertisement opposing the state government’s $96 million MotoGP redevelopment in the Adelaide Park Lands was plastered across a billboard atop the state heritage-listed Britannia Hotel on the roundabout across from the eastern park lands on Monday afternoon.
However, it was déjà vu for the park lands protesters when the advertisement was swiftly taken down on Tuesday afternoon, about 36 hours after it initially went up. The same billboard was banned from Adelaide Airport earlier this year with management claiming it breached its political advertising rules.
Now in its place is a rotation between Chemist Warehouse and V.supple ads, a vaginal healthcare company advertising its balm aimed at women in menopause experiencing dryness.
A social media post from the Gum Leaf Guild revealed the park lands campaign.
“From protecting mature trees to protecting mature women. At least somebody understands that age doesn’t diminish value,” the Gum Leaf Guild post said.
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Adelaide Park Lands Association president Mat Monti said the group was advised its permission to advertise at the location had been revoked despite paying for two weeks of advertising space, however no official reason was provided.
Britannia Hotel’s owners, The Duke Group, and billboard owner oOh!media have been contacted for comment.
“It’s disappointing, but I think the most disappointing aspect is we went through all the processes, we got all the right approvals, we were able to pay the money, and we were up 36 hours only to then have it taken down,” Monti said.
“If we got told that property isn’t the right place for it when we applied for this billboard, that’d be fine. We’d understand that.
“But this is the second time now where we’ve gone through all the right processes.”
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The group spent “a couple thousand” dollars to advertise at the Britannia Hotel, but Monti says the money will be refunded.
However, members of the Adelaide Park Lands Association will be out of pocket hundreds of dollars for costs to design the campaign graphic.
On Tuesday, Premier Peter Malinauskas revealed the MotoGP street circuit redevelopment had received the green light from the National Environmental Protection Agency under federal Environment Minister Murray Watt.
Construction works on the $96 million redevelopment are expected to begin in December, but Malinauskas said he still expected protests from park lands advocates.
“We don’t agree, but we respect their right to advocate accordingly, just as long as it’s done lawfully and peacefully,” he said.
Earlier this year, Adelaide Airport rejected a Park Lands protesters’ bid to use its Sir Richard Williams Avenue billboard to campaign against tree removals at the redeveloped golf course and MotoGP track.
The Park Lands Association president also reported an incident of online abuse to SA Police.
“Overnight an individual made a comment on one of my social media posts attacking me and sharing my home address with photos of my building,” Monti said.
“This has been a terrifying experience. I’ve endured a lot of abuse during this campaign. Online abuse, death threats, and having things thrown at me from passing cars.
“But to have someone find out where I live and post it online is the worst abuse yet.”
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