Indigenous leaders have condemned people who booed welcome to country speeches at Anzac Day dawn services across the country, with an army captain stating 'racism is a cancer.' Elders who spoke at services in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth on Saturday morning were booed following a campaign by Fight for Australia, the group formerly known as March for Australia, which has previously staged major anti-immigration rallies.
Uncle Jack Pearson Condemns Racism
Uncle Jack Pearson, a Yimithurr man and a captain in the Australian army, said 'racism in any shape or form is a cancer to any society.' The Indigenous military expert said there was 'nothing wrong with free speech and protest.' 'But it's got to be respectful, particularly on days like this … a very special day for all Australians,' he said. Welcomes and acknowledgments of country were solemn events, he said, recognising First Nations people 'and their contribution to what we know as Australia today.' 'First Nations people have been here since before the idea of Australia existed. Racism or racial bias is a disruptor to our common humanity in Australia – to who we are in Australia. It is not in the Anzac spirit.'
Marcia Langton Calls for Bans
Marcia Langton, laureate professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Melbourne, said those who booed had committed a 'despicable and ignorant … moral crime.' Writing in Guardian Australia, she said those who intentionally disrupted services should face bans. 'The morons who tried to snatch the sacred moment away … deserve more than contempt and a few words of rancour,' Langton said on Saturday. 'They should be named, photographed and banned from all future Anzac Day services. If the AFL can ban disruptive racists, the police forces of Australia should similarly be able to deal with these people.'
Disruptions in Sydney
At Sydney's dawn service in Martin Place, a small but noisy group of interjectors shouted and jeered as Uncle Ray Minniecon was delivering his acknowledgment of country. After those disturbing the peace were quieted and the acknowledgment concluded, a chorus of applause and cheering by thousands rang for an extended period to show support for Minniecon. 'We do have laws to try and deter people from this, but it seems like these people still want to be lawless,' Minniecon, whose ancestry includes the Kabi-Kabi and Gurang-Gurang peoples of Queensland, said after the ceremony. Minniecon, a veteran himself whose grandfather served in the Light Horse Brigade, was instrumental in starting the annual Coloured Diggers event and march in Redfern, which honours the service and sacrifice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander veterans.
Support Overwhelms Booing in Melbourne and Perth
A similar disruption was drowned out in Melbourne, where Bunurong and Gunditjmara man Uncle Mark Brown delivered his welcome. Those booing were overwhelmed by cheers of support. In Perth, Whadjuk and Noongar elder and veteran Aunty Di Ryder was also booed during her address. The RSL WA chief executive, Stephen Barton, condemned the disruption as 'one of the most disgraceful things I have ever heard.' Those commemorating Anzac Day in Adelaide also reported booing.
Political and Police Response
The South Australian deputy premier, Kyam Maher, an Aboriginal man of Indigenous Tasmanian heritage, said it was 'deeply unfortunate.' 'Being welcomed to country is something that Aboriginal people have done for tens of thousands of years, welcoming other Aboriginal people to their particular country, and is something that is generously done,' he told the ABC. A 24-year-old man was arrested for an alleged act of nuisance at Sydney's dawn service, New South Wales police said. He was subsequently charged with committing a nuisance on a war memorial and bailed to appear in court in early June. NSW police said 'other people were moved on from the service.' Fight for Australia had encouraged supporters to contact local RSL branches and ask that welcomes to country not be included in Anzac Day ceremonies. On Friday, the group wrote online, 'Will you be booing the welcome to country this year?' alongside a video of Melbourne's 2025 Anzac Day ceremony, where Brown was booed by members of the National Socialist Network.
Additional reporting by Australian Associated Press.
