Aussies are putting onions outside in tribute to their embattled prime minister

By
Ariel Bogle
 on 
Aussies are putting onions outside in tribute to their embattled prime minister
Credit: crgentle

Updated: Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 at 11 p.m. AEST: On Monday night, Malcolm Turnbull unseated Tony Abbott in an internal Liberal Party ballot to become Australia's 29th prime minister.

When current affairs demand it, the people of Australia can meme at the speed of sound.

Mere minutes after Liberal Party politician Malcolm Turnbull officially declared he would be challenging Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott for the leadership on Monday, #putyouronionsout out began trending on Twitter.

The hashtag is a nod to the prime minister's well-documented fondness for the vegetable, which he has been caught eating raw -- twice.

It's also a preemptive, tongue-in-cheek eulogy for the end of Abbott's leadership. In late 2014, #putoutyourbats trended globally as part of a tribute to the late Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, where people laid cricket bats outside their front door.

The glorious meme was foreshadowed in August by Labor politician Tim Watts.

Turnbull, Morrison and Bishop all transparently auditioning in the spotlight this week #StandByTony #PutOutYourOnions— Tim Watts (@TimWattsMP) August 18, 2015

And apparently kicked off on Monday by Twitter user, John Kelly.

Hey people of Arsetrailer! Show your support for Tones. #PutOutYourOnions#auspol #libspill pic.twitter.com/StBIJFgupg— John Kelly (@j2dk) September 14, 2015

It was embraced by the people of Australia.

Poor old tones #putoutyouronions pic.twitter.com/oTsRVJ6afi— tom bain (@twb3188) September 14, 2015

this VERY old rancid onion is a visual representation of how tony must be feeling rn #putoutyouronions #libspill pic.twitter.com/8EEAST2qMT— CHLOE SARGEANT (@chlosarge) September 14, 2015

No tears here, Tone. #putoutyouronions #auspol #libspill pic.twitter.com/luKDOEDNhX— redashy86 (@redashy86) September 14, 2015

I put them next to my captain's pick #putyouronionsout #putoutyouronions pic.twitter.com/DLvoNJDAAS— Chris Gentle (@crgentle) September 14, 2015

Even Labor Senator Sam Dastyari joined in.

#putoutyouronions pic.twitter.com/PSB3PxmYYb— Sam Dastyari (@samdastyari) September 14, 2015

And it continued all afternoon.

In Tone We Trust. #putoutyouronions #libspill #auspol pic.twitter.com/k5CIs1vYyj— Nick Rippon (@nickrippon) September 14, 2015

So long, @tonyabbottmhr #putoutyouronions https://t.co/ENTiAaDY6V pic.twitter.com/3Zez5aAhcL— Comrade Weez (@weezmgk) September 14, 2015

#PutOutYourOnions #auspol pic.twitter.com/OyABONeovW— Laura Allen (@laura_allen90) September 14, 2015

@neil_saints @SamanthaC77 Sounds like he's as good as gone #putoutyouronions pic.twitter.com/Ffkpm41P5o— Cracker Jack (@StKeenan84) September 14, 2015

#putyouronionsout pic.twitter.com/F1v9q0tPBf— Lauren The Innocent (@LTheInnocent) September 14, 2015

The supermarket shelves will be bare at this rate.

#putoutyouronions #libspill pic.twitter.com/bsUHmYaFmu— sontology (@sontology) September 14, 2015

#Putoutyouronions pic.twitter.com/1gpbghWcUN— Ben Ladson (@BenLadson) September 14, 2015

#putoutyouronions #libspill #auspol #Abbott #Turnbull pic.twitter.com/OsLXjxMAUH— t h o r l e y (@mthorz) September 14, 2015

#putyouronionsoutSunsets for Neoconservative Australia #auspol pic.twitter.com/bBhL2oUpwi— MattScollay (@MattScollay) September 14, 2015

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