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The Sound of 2021

Dec 17, 2021 • 17m47s

Capitol riots, the Delta strain, sexual assault allegations rocking Parliament, the war in Gaza, the Olympics, COP26 and humanity’s last chance, the world’s longest lockdown, freedom days, and now Omicron and the start of a federal election campaign. Today, we look back at the news events that defined 2021 - in sound.

Original music and composition in this episode by Alex Gow.

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The Sound of 2021

613 • Dec 17, 2021

The Sound of 2021

Archival tape – Australian national anthem:

[Australian national anthem begins]

Archival tape – Scott Morrison:

“Well happy new year Australia, for we are one and free.”

Archival tape – News reader:

“It’s a small change with the hope it’ll have a big impact.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“Australia has changed one word in its national anthem.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“The line for we are young and free will be replaced by one and free in an attempt to recognise Indigenous history.”

Archival tape – News reader:

“Some Indigenous Australians say it doesn’t go far enough.”

Archival tape – Anthony Mundine:

“To change that one word, it’s not good enough.”

Archival tape – Linda Burney:

“The real change needs to be within the Australian constitution.”

Archival tape – Protests:

[Stop the steal chanting…]
Trump is still your President!

Archival tape – News reader:

“Donald Trump launching an assault on the integrity of the election, unleashing a barrage of false claims of fraud and corruption without evidence…”

Archival tape – Donald Trump:

“Now it is up to Congress to confront this egregious assault on our democracy. And after this, we're going to walk down and I'll be there with you. We're going to walk down to the Capitol.”

Archival tape – News reader - NBC:

“Breaking news tonight, the deadly siege on Congress as an angry pro-Trump mob storms the US Captiol.”

Archival tape – News reader - ABC:

“… thousands storming the Capitol after a rally with President Trump after he urged them to march on the Capitol.”

Archival tape – News reader - ABC:

“The mob storming the barriers - pushing through this door.”

Archival tape – Newsreader - ABC:

“Capitol police unable to hold them back.”

Archival tape – Journalist:

“Are you concerned about your inauguration sir? Are you concerned about violence?”

Archival tape – Joe Biden:

“I am not concerned about my safety, security or the inauguration. I am not concerned. The American people are going to stand up and stand up now. Enough is enough is enough.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“On his first full day in office, US President Joe Biden, making it clear the pandemic is priority number one.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“Breaking news this hour - and the global number of people diagnosed with Coronavirus has reached more than 100 million.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“100 million”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“100 million a little over a year since the first case was confirmed.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“Nationwide 1 person is dying every 34 seconds from Covid.”

Archival tape – Older woman in LA:

“It’s very tough for someone to tell you you cannot get a hospital room.”

Archival tape – LA official:

“We are truly in a crisis mode right now.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“And the revelations of this week alone sent shockwaves not just through parliament house but throughout the whole country as more details emerge about the alleged rape of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“Brittany Higgins happened just meters from the PM’s office, less than three weeks before the 2019 election was called.”

Archival tape – Brittany Higgins:

“They didn’t care about me - they cared about the party.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“The PM is being urged to investigate an allegation of an historical rape levelled against one of his cabinet ministers…”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“AG Christian Porter has been revealed as the cabinet minister at the center of an historical rape allegation…”

Archival tape – Christian Porter:

“It just did not happen…”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“A man lauded as a potential future PM, pleading his innocence in the face of the gravest allegations…”

Archival tape – Christian Porter:

“I can say categorically that what has been put in various forms and allegations simply did not happen.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“The voices of thousands of women in rallies around the country, heard loudest on the doorsteps of power in Canberra…”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“One of those women - the ex wife of Christian Porter at a rally in Perth. The Attorney General choosing today to launch a defamation lawsuit against the ABC.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“It’s no wonder some are calling the trial of the century.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“To breaking news now, the former AG Christian Porter has claimed vindication after dropping his defamation case against the ABC.”

“The public broadcaster says it regrets the story but will not pay damages and both sides are claiming a win.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“Now it’s one of the world’s most important shipping routes, and it’s blocked!”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“One of the world’s biggest container ships, blocking the Suez Canal.”

Archival tape – News Anchor:

“The Ever Given has given us a tidal wave of glorious memes”

Archival tape – News Anchor:

“You park your giant SUV parallel and then two people move in and you’ve got an inch between the bumpers and you’re trying to get out…”

Archival tape – News Anchor:

“Emotionally, I am the Suez Canal”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“It took 13 tugs and the removal of tens of thousands of tons of sand to eventually free her, and much to everyone’s relief that’s now been done…”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“The global death toll from the pandemic has crossed the bleak threshold of three million people. Vaccine rollouts are now underway in 190 countries, but success in getting the virus under control varies widely”

Archival tape – Justin Trudeau:

“Numbers are higher than they've ever been before, and far too many hospitals are stretched way too thin.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“India is one of the hardest hit countries, and it's facing an alarming surge in infections day after day for more than a week, it's reported a new record daily rise in cases.”

Archival tape – Local:

“The situation right now here is really worst, critical and really out of control”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi says the wave of cases is hitting like a storm.”

Archival tape – Scott Morrison:

“Today, we agreed to pause direct passenger flights between India and Australia until the 15th of May.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“The order penalises citizens and residents stranded in the COVID stricken country if they attempt to travel home.”

Archival tape – Adam Bandt:

“The ban is racist. It's possibly illegal. It's not supported by the medical advice, and it's got to go..”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“Hundreds of Palestinian protesters were injured over the weekend in clashes with Israeli police in the area around the Al-Aqsa mosque…”

Archival tape – Newsreader (Aus):

“A number of pro-Palestinian rallies are being held across Australia today, demonstrations are underway in Adelaide in Hobart, following similar events in Sydney and in Melbourne”

Archival tape – Pro-Palestine rally:

“Free free Palestine! / Long live Palestine! / Long live Palestine!”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“In Sheikh-Jarrah there continues to be anger and tension. Attempts to evict Palestinians from their homes in this area earlier this month helped start the escalation to the conflict.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“In the space of just a day, a major escalation that few had expected…”

Archival tape – Newsreader: “

Israel’s carried out airstrikes on Gaza hours after rockets were fired from the territory towards Jerusalem”

Archival tape – Benjamin Netanyahu:

“Israel has responded forcefully to these attacks and we will continue to respond forcefully”

Archival tape – UN Chief:

“The fighting must stop immediately. I appeal to all parties to cease hostilities now.”

Archival tape – Tik Tokker:

“Check this out. Welcome to Australia, home of the Great Mouse Plague”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“It's the latest challenge pushing farmers to breaking point. Millions of mice running riot and destroying valuable stock feed.”

Archival tape – Farmer:

“Just in our farm, We've seen at estimate about two million mice in my estimate is what I've seen in my place.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“Exactly what health officials have been trying to avoid - NSW this morning bracing to record more than 100 new covid cases as the state’s outbreak spirals out of control.”

Archival tape – Gladys Berejiklian:

“A few days ago, I said this was the scariest time that I felt since the pandemic started, and that's proven to be the case. So from six pm today, all of Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong will go into a lockdown”

Archival tape – Kochi:

“The army will take to Sydney's streets and police will go door to door in hotspot suburbs after the city recorded its worst the pandemic so far.”

“In a couple of hours, 13 and a half million Australians will be in lockdown.”

Protesters chanting in Japanese

Archival tape – Reporter:

“These people marching through the streets of Tokyo are not celebrating the coming Olympics but demanding it be stopped.”

Protesters chanting in Japanese

Archival tape – Reporter:

“Nearly 80 percent of Japanese people say they are against holding the games during this global health crisis.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga insists that the games will go ahead in Tokyo as scheduled.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“The opening ceremony a little more than a week away now, as Tokyo reports its highest number of new COVID cases in six months…”

Archival tape – News Anchor:

“It's just 13 hours GMT. We begin in Tokyo - the greatest show on Earth has finally now got underway…”

Archival tape – Olympic Ceremony Announcer:

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Olympic flame is now entering into the stadium!”

Archival tape – Olympic Ceremony Announcer (Japanese):

皆様、聖火がオリンピック スタジアムに到着いたしました!

Ceremony musical climax - lighting the cauldron - applause

Archival tape – Commentator:

“…They hit it! Yes it’s gold for Australia! What a swim! Olympic record! Cate Campbell gets it done!”

[cheers]

Archival tape – News Anchor:

“Taliban forces entered the heart of the Afghan capital, Kabul today.”

“Afghans and foreign nationals have been trying to get on planes at Kabul Airport, where international troops have been involved in evacuations.”

[Kabul airport crowds, gunshot]

Archival tape – Man:

“I've been stuck here for the past two days. I'm trying to get in. I went to American.”

Archival tape – Girl:

“Taliban coming for me, Taliban coming for me.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“There are scenes of panic and pandemonium at Kabul airport today as desperate people pour onto the runway trying to flee the country in what can only be described as a chaotic exodus now people are literally clinging on to US military aircraft as they try to take off.”

[Military airplane taking off]

Archival tape – Scott Morrison:

“Last evening, Australia's operation to commence evacuating Australians and visa holders, Afghan nationals from Kabul commenced.”

[Suicide bomb explosion]

Archival tape – Reporter:

“Quick update this morning on some breaking news. We brought you in the last hour and that is the Pentagon confirming there has been an explosion outside Kabul airport.”

[Military airplane taking off]

Archival tape – American general:

“The last C-17 lifted off from Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 30th this afternoon in the last manned aircraft, is now clearing the airspace above Afghanistan.”

Archival tape – Joe Biden:

“My fellow Americans, the war in Afghanistan is now over.”

Archival tape – Scott Morrison:

“Well, good morning from Australia. I'm very pleased to join two great friends of Freedom and of Australia.”

Archival tape – News report:

“The United States, Britain and Australia are forming a new security alliance for the Indo-Pacific region.”

Archival tape – Scott Morrison:

“And so friends AUKUS is born. First major initiative of AUKUS will be to deliver a nuclear powered submarine fleet for Australia.”

Archival tape – Joe Biden:

“And I want to thank that fella down under, thank you very much pal.”

Archival tape – Channel 7:

“Well in breaking news this morning, France has recalled its ambassadors to Australia and the US. It's in the wake of a new nuclear defence deal.”

Archival tape – Sky:

“French President Emmanuel Macron has told the prime minister that he broke the relationship of trust between the two nations.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“Do you think he lied to you?”

Archival tape – Emmanuelle Macron:

“I don't think - I know.”

[Earthquake rumbles]

Archival tape – Man: “Dude! Is that an earthquake?”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“A 5.9 magnitude earthquake has shaken south eastern Australia, causing damage in Melbourne and other parts of Victoria.”

Archival tape – ABC studio:

“Oh, I've never had an earthquake in here before”,

Archival tape – ABC Reporter Rowland:

“That was a, that was a big one.”

Archival tape – Daryl Maguire:

“What happened was, I’ve been subpoenaed to go to ICAC…”

Archival tape – Gladys Berejiklian:

“What?? What for? Is there anything to worry about?”

Archival tape – Daryl Maguire:

“No”

Archival tape – Gladys Berejiklian:

“Oh good….”

Archival tape – Gladys Berejiklian:

“I was advised late yesterday afternoon that the Independent Commission against Corruption will today release a public statement in which it will say it is investigating allegations made about me fade concerning matters relating to the former member for Wagga Wagga.”

Archival tape – Gladys Berejiklian (taped phone call):

“I’ll throw money at Wagga don’t you worry about that.”

Archival tape – Gladys Berejiklian:

“I want to be very clear, in all the decisions I have ever made as premier of NSW my first consideration has always been the wellbeing and welfare of the people of this state.”

Archival tape – Gladys Berejiklian (taped phone call):

“I’ll deal with it. I’ll fix it. I’ll fix it.”

Archival tape – Gladys Berejiklian:

“History will demonstrate that I’ve always executed my duties again with the highest level of integrity”

Archival tape – Daryl Maguire:

“You know they could be taping your conversation with me right now, you know? You wouldn’t know.”

Archival tape – Gladys Berejiklian:

“Therefore it pains me to announce that I have no option but to resign from the office of premier.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“Grey skies and rain weren’t enough to dampen the spirits of those in Sydney keen to embrace what’s been described as freedom day.

After nearly four months, residents in Australia’s largest city have exited lockdown.”

Archival tape – Sydney resident:

“It’s like being in the castle when they said “tell him he’s dreaming!” And now it’s freedom day, and it’s just the most brilliant day and we’re so so happy…”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“It’s finally happened after 263 days collectively, Melbourne has freedom.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“Cheers heard across the city.”

“The most locked down city finally coming to life.”

“Live music let’s go!"

"Welcome back!”

Archival tape – Boris Johnson:

“Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to COP. Welcome to Glasgow.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“They've come to Glasgow from around the world for one of the most important meetings on the planet's future.”

Archival tape – António Guterres:

“The climate crisis is a code red for humanity.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“Are we anywhere near a deal that's good enough?”

Archival tape – Protester:

“We have hours left, few hours left. We need a deal. We need action now.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“These protesters were not impressed by the latest draft of a climate agreement in which language to abolish coal had been watered down.”

Archival tape – Greta Thunberg:

“This is no longer a climate conference. This is now a two week long celebration of business as usual and blah blah blah.”

Archival tape – COP26 President:

“May I just say to all delegates, I apologise for the way this process has unfolded and I'm deeply sorry.”

Archival tape – Reporter:

“Good evening, in a word, incredible. Four year old Cleo Smith is home with her mother tonight after 18 very long days.”

Archival tape – Police:

“One of the officers picked her up into his arms and asked her, What's your name? She said, My name is Cleo.”

Archival tape – Sky News:

“Victoria’s Human Rights Watchdog has raised concerns over premier Daniel Andrews controversial pandemic management bill”

[Protest rabble starts]

Archival tape – 9 News:

“Up to 10,000 protesters have descended on Victoria’s parliament house in a massive show of force against vaccine mandates and the state’s proposed pandemic bill.”

Archival tape – Protest Audio:

“21 months of mainstream media feeding the public a bullshit narrative, we’ve had enough.”

Archival tape – 9 News:

“It was one of the biggest marches the country’s seen during the pandemic.”

Archival tape – Protest Audio:

“You fucking Rat Dog”

Archival tape – 9 News:

“Protestors have made disturbing death threats against the premier as they ramped up their fight against the pandemic bill.”

Archival tape – 9 News:

“One demonstrator brought a makeshift gallows to the steps of parliament, sparking widespread condemnation.”

Archival tape – Scott Morrison:

“Of course those threats and intimidation has no place in Australia, we’re a civil peaceful society.”

Archival tape – Scott Morrison:

“But, now it’s time for governments to step back and for Australians to take their lives back”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“Scientists in South Africa are warning against a new coronavirus variant of extreme concern”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“Omicron is here and it’s spreading fast”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus appears to spread more than twice as quickly as Delta”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“And is already spreading rapidly in South Africa. Cases there surging from 100 to more than 1000 per day.”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“The PM is urging calm after the new coronavirus variant called Omicron was detected in Australia.”

Archival tape – Greg Hunt:

“Australia has dealt with challenges - we are ready for this, we are able to deal with this and we want to give Australians that confidence…”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“Ready to race. The PM in the pits, warming up for the polls.”

Archival tape – Scott Morrison:

“Hey good one…”

Archival tape – News reporter:

“The PM has declared himself the underdog heading into the election, as new polling shows he trails Anthony Albanese on trust and likeability…”

Archival tape – Newsreader:

“The date of the federal election is as yet undeclared but you wouldn’t know it.”

Archival tape – Scott Morrsion:

“It’s really exciting to see the crowds back, the country opening up again…”

Archival tape – Anthony Albonese:

“Now we want to put the past two years behind us - but to do that, we need to put this government behind us!”

Archival tape – News report:

“Soaring cases threaten to jeopardize Christmas celebrations for a second year running… “

Archival tape – News report:

“The queues longer than ever, Covid once again looming large over the festive season.”

[Outro music]

Capitol riots, the Delta strain, sexual assault allegations rocking Parliament, the war in Gaza, the Olympics, COP26 and humanity’s last chance, the world’s longest lockdown, freedom days, and now Omicron and the start of a federal election campaign.

Today, we look back at the news events that defined 2021 - in sound.

Original music and composition in this episode by Alex Gow.

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7am is a daily show from The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. It’s produced by Elle Marsh, Kara Jensen-Mackinnon, Anu Hasbold and Alex Gow.

Our senior producer is Ruby Schwartz and our technical producer is Atticus Bastow.

Brian Campeau mixes the show. Our editor is Osman Faruqi. Erik Jensen is our editor-in-chief.

Original music and composition in this episode by Alex Gow.


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613: The Sound of 2021