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Victorian police have interviewed a man for offensive behaviour after attenders at Melbourne’s main Anzac Day dawn service booed and heckled during a welcome to country.
A small group of people booed and yelled throughout the welcome delivered by Bunurong elder Uncle Mark Brown at the 5:30 am service at the city’s Shrine of Remembrance.
“This morning, I’m here to welcome everyone to my father’s country,” Brown said, speaking over the shouts.
“We all gather in the spirit of respect and unity and this welcome is an opportunity … to honour and respect the deep cultural heritage of the Bunurong people of the Kulin nations.”
“What about the Anzacs?” one man shouted, while others yelled: “It’s our country … We don’t have to be welcomed.”
Others in the crowd shouted “always was, always will be” and clapped and cheered over the top of the hecklers, who again booed and shouted as Victoria’s governor, Margaret Gardner, delivered an acknowledgment of country.
The veterans’ affairs minister, Matt Keogh, says the booing heard in Melbourne was “disgraceful” and was allegedly led by “a known neo-Nazi”.
“When we come together to commemorate on Anzac Day, we’re commemorating some of those soldiers who fell in a war that was fought against that sort of hateful ideology,” Keogh told ABC radio.
RSL Victoria’s president, Robert Webster also condemned the hecklers.
“The actions of that very small minority were completely disrespectful to veterans and the spirit of Anzac Day [but] the applause of everybody else attending drowned it out and showed the respect befitting of the occasion,” he said.
Victoria police said they interviewed a 26-year-old Kensington man for offensive behaviour and directed him to leave the Shrine of Remembrance. They intend to proceed with a summons and expect the man will be charged over the offensive behaviour, a spokesperson said.
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Victoria police declined to confirm reports of the man’s identity.
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, told ABC radio the behaviour was “beyond disappointing” while Barnaby Joyce, the shadow veterans’ affairs minister, said it marred Australia’s “most sacred ceremony”.
“Any person who desecrates that in any way, shape or form, is a complete and utter disgrace,” he said.
RSL Victoria said Friday morning’s Melbourne service was attended by more than 50,000 people, up from the 40,000-strong crowd in 2024.
Additional reporting by Krishani Dhanji
