Raygun petition signed by 50,000 demanding 'apology' could be scrapped
A petition filed against Australian breakdancer Raygun could be scrapped despite more than 50,000 people signing it.
LADbible can reveal that Change.org, the website that hosts the petition, has placed the petition 'under review' following calls from the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) to throw it out altogether.
Raygun, who when not performing is 36-year-old Rachael Gunn, went viral during the 2024 Paris Olympics for her performance in the women's breaking competition.
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Scoring zero against her French opponent during the heats, her unique moves - including hopping like a kangaroo - were shared right across the likes of TikTok, X, Facebook, and YouTube.
She became an instant social media sensation, something she fully embraced on the way to the closing ceremony last weekend.
The routine even found its way on to late night talk shows in the United States, with one Hollywood actress dressing up like the Aussie to give her best attempt at busting the moves.
Following the end of the Paris Olympics, a petition launched on Monday (12 August) has been signed by more than 50,000 people demanding the 'immediate accountability and transparency in the recent actions of Rachel Gunn and Anna Meares in the selection process for Australia's female breakdancer representative at the upcoming Olympics'.
With no evidence provided to back up the claims made, the Change.org petition accuses Raygun of ‘manipulating the selection process to her own advantage’ and demands a public apology from her and Paris Chef de Mission Meares ‘for misleading the Australian public and attempting to gaslight the public and undermining the efforts of genuine athletes’.
But in a brief statement to LADbible, a spokesperson for Change.org confirmed the petition was now under review - a move which could see it binned.
"We have placed this petition under review to ensure it aligns with our Community Guidelines," they said.
A statement on the petition adds: "This petition is under review by moderators who enforce our Community Guidelines. We have received flags from our users that the facts in this petition may be contested. You should consider researching this issue before signing."
Under Change.org's guidelines, the platform says says it 'may be forced to remove or restrict content' if it doesn't aline with its policies.
Change.org says it has a zero tolerance policy on 'illegal or harmful speech', which includes 'hate or discrimination'. Petitions also can't break the law.
From a safety point of view, it restricts 'bullying and harassment'.
And on 'integrity and authenticity', there is a ban on 'false or misleading information'.
Given no evidence has been supplied to back up the claims made about Raygun, this might be where it falls down and is removed.
AOC boss Matt Caroll has called the petition ‘appalling’, adding: "The AOC is particularly offended by the affront to our Chef de Mission, Anna Meares. The Australian Team Chef de Mission played no role in the qualification events nor the nomination of athletes to the AOC Selection Committee, of which the Chef and I are members.
"It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way. It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory. We are demanding that it be removed from the site immediately.
“The petition has stirred up public hatred without any factual basis. It's appalling. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way and we are supporting Dr Gunn and Anna Meares at this time. It's important that the community understands the facts and that people do not form opinions based on malicious untruths and misinformation."
Topics: Olympics, Australia, Sport, Technology, Viral
Tom Earnshaw