Booing disrupts Anzac Day services; Roberts-Smith attends Gold Coast ceremony amid war crime charges
Consensus Summary
Anzac Day services across Australia on April 25, 2026, were marred by booing during the Welcome to Country acknowledgments in Sydney and Melbourne, with a 24-year-old man arrested in Sydney for an alleged act of nuisance. Uncle Ray Minniecon and Uncle Mark Brown, Indigenous servicemen, delivered their addresses despite the disruptions, emphasizing the importance of respect for Aboriginal land and traditions. Meanwhile, Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith attended a dawn service on the Gold Coast, where he faces five counts of war crime murder charges related to alleged actions in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. Leaders, including NSW Premier Chris Minns and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, condemned the booing as disrespectful and inappropriate, highlighting the sacred nature of Anzac Day. The services commemorated the 111th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, with tens of thousands of attendees across major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra, where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese laid a wreath at the Australian War Memorial. The day also included emotional moments, such as the address by Flying Officer Kbora Ali, who shared her family’s story of being saved by the Royal Australian Navy. In Melbourne, anti-Anzac graffiti was found at a local RSL sub-branch, further adding to the divisive atmosphere.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Booing interrupted the Welcome to Country by Uncle Ray Minniecon at the Sydney dawn service at Martin Place on April 25, 2026, at approximately 4:30am.
- A 24-year-old man was arrested for an alleged act of nuisance during the Sydney dawn service.
- Booing also disrupted Uncle Mark Brown’s Welcome to Country at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance on April 25, 2026.
- Ben Roberts-Smith attended the dawn service at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast on April 25, 2026, wearing his medals, including the Victoria Cross.
- Roberts-Smith was charged on April 2026 with five counts of war crime murder related to alleged conduct in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
- The Anzac Day services commemorated the 111th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings on April 25, 1915.
- NSW Premier Chris Minns and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan condemned the booing as disrespectful and inappropriate.
- Uncle Ray Minniecon stated that the booing was a form of racism and that 'this always was and always will be Aboriginal land'.
- The Sydney dawn service at Martin Place attracted around 11,000 attendees, while Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance service drew about 50,000 people.
- The service in Canberra at the Australian War Memorial included Prime Minister Anthony Albanese laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Fallen Soldier.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith told reporters: 'I never thought about not coming. I was always going to be here.'
- The Victorian premier described the interruption in Melbourne as 'bastardry'.
- Acting Chief of Army, Major General Richard Vagg, called the heckling 'disgraceful behaviour'.
- Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the booing was 'deeply disappointing' and 'disgraceful'.
- The booing in Sydney was drowned out by a chorus of applause and cheering for Uncle Ray Minniecon.
- NSW Premier Chris Minns recited Elliott Napier’s poem, *Salute*, before laying a wreath at the Cenotaph.
- Brigadier Vincent Williams, acting president of RSL NSW, called the booing 'the most appalling act' he has ever seen at a dawn service.
- Flying Officer Kbora Ali, a RAAF servicewoman, shared her family’s story of being saved by the Royal Australian Navy in Afghanistan.
- The Sydney Dawn Service included a didgeridoo performance by Flight Lieutenant James Evans.
- The ABC noted that the service ended with the Last Post, a minute’s silence, and the singing of the Australian and New Zealand anthems.
- The Prime Minister originally intended to attend Gallipoli but canceled due to the US-Iran war.
- Governor-General Sam Mostyn attended the North Bondi service, where about 40,000 people were expected.
- The article mentioned the use of purple poppies for animals and an infinity symbol for military personnel who died by suicide in commemorations.
- The Canberra ceremony included a video message from the Prime Minister honoring the original Anzacs and all Australians who served in the military.
- The article highlighted that the first Australian ceremonies began at 4:20am in Sydney’s Martin Place.
- John Murray, an 89-year-old Vietnam veteran, attended the Sydney dawn service from Brisbane, wearing a blue RAAF cap and medals.
- The Sydney Dawn Service included a camera drone flying above the crowd.
- The article mentioned that the Sydney service was followed by a march along Elizabeth Street at 9am and a commemoration service at the Pool of Remembrance at 12:30pm.
- The Sydney service included a sunset service at the Martin Place Cenotaph at 5pm.
- The article noted that the public holiday on Monday, April 27, is part of a two-year trial to capture Anzac Day falling on a Sunday.
- Anti-Anzac graffiti, including 'kill the troops' and 'f--k Anzacs', was sprayed on the walls of the Reservoir RSL in Melbourne’s north before the dawn service.
- Reservoir RSL sub-branch secretary Anton Cabunilas called the graffiti 'disgraceful' and said it was intended to cause 'hurt, division and distress to veterans'.
- A small group of men also booed when Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner acknowledged the Bunurong people at the start of her speech.
- RSL Victoria president Dr Mark Schroffel said the disruptors were 'weak-minded individuals who do not belong at this service'.
- New Zealand serviceman Steve Crawford, on holidays in Melbourne, called the booing 'a shame' and said it 'takes the shine away from what the day is about'.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian and ABC report that the Sydney booing lasted for 'nearly a minute' and was 'drowned out by applause,' while The Age and SMH do not specify the duration of the booing.
- The Guardian states that the Melbourne booing was 'drowned out' by applause, while The Age reports that the booing continued throughout Uncle Mark Brown’s speech and was picked up by microphones.
- The Guardian and ABC mention that the Sydney service was disrupted by a 'group of protesters,' while SMH and The Age describe the booing as coming from 'a number of crowd members' without specifying a group.
- The Guardian and ABC report that the Sydney service was attended by Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, but this is not mentioned in SMH or The Age.
- The Guardian and ABC report that the Sydney service included a 'chorus of applause and cheering' for Uncle Ray Minniecon, while The Age does not mention this.
Source Articles
Indigenous speakers booed at Anzac Day services as Ben Roberts-Smith attends Gold Coast event
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