{"id":753,"date":"2026-04-28T22:19:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/753\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T22:19:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:19:18","slug":"thousands-attend-anzac-day-services-across-perth-and-wa-a-few-moved-on-for-booing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/753\/","title":{"rendered":"Thousands attend Anzac Day services across Perth and WA, a few moved on for booing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leaders have condemned “cretins” who interjected and booed at Perth and Western Australian Anzac Day ceremonies, with the premier labelling their actions “disgusting and disrespectful”.<\/p>\n

Police issued 15 move-on notices to the disruptors at Kings Park and in Busselton as thousands of people turned out to pay their respects at dozens of dawn services across the city and regional WA.<\/p>\n

About 30,000 people attended the Kings Park service, more than last year.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People reflect at the Eternal Flame war memorial. (ABC News: Lauren Smith\u00a0)<\/p>\n

The crowd heard from Brigadier Damian Bushell, who reflected on what he described as the “growing strategic uncertainty in the world” which demanded “moral courage and adaptability”.<\/p>\n

But as the ceremony unfolded, the opening Welcome to Country speech by Whadjuk Noongar Elder Di Ryder was disrupted by boos.<\/p>\n

Loading…<\/p>\n

Following her address, RSL WA chief executive Stephen Barton told the crowd the booing was one of the most disgraceful things he had ever heard, eliciting a burst of applause.<\/p>\n

“To our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in WA, we will continue to acknowledge country,” he said to the crowd.<\/p>\n

“We will not be bullied.”<\/p>\n

In Busselton, the dawn service was interrupted by a lone heckler.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“It’s\u00a0just unfortunate that someone would select\u00a0a time of such reflection of the losses and the commitment that our brave soldiers gave,” Mayor Phil Cronin said.<\/p>\n

“And use that as an opportunity to, in a sense, protest.”<\/p>\n

\"Flower<\/p>\n

Flower wreaths at the base of the War Memorial in Perth’s Kings Park to mark Anzac Day. (ABC News: Lauren Smith\u00a0)<\/p>\n

WA Premier Roger Cook condemned the hecklers.<\/p>\n

“Anzac Day is a day that we come together … with a sense of strength and resilience,” said Cook.<\/p>\n

“For anyone to disrespect one of our elders, and a veteran themselves, is just disgusting and disrespectful.”<\/p>\n

RSL WA president Duncan Anderson told the ABC Ms Ryder would indeed be back next year and in a sign of solidarity, Governor Chris Dawson invited her to lay a wreath with him.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Chris Dawson with Di Ryder after she delivered her speech. (ABC News: Lauren Smith)<\/p>\n

“Those cretins are entitled to their own views, ironically that’s what we served for, to uphold the freedom of speech and democracy,” Mr Anderson said.<\/p>\n

“But everyone just needs to realise that Anzac Day, particularly the dawn service, is a politics-free zone, it’s about commemorating those that have sacrificed and served and people just need to shelve their opinions for a couple of minutes and just behave themselves.”<\/p>\n

Anzac Day booing draws condemnation<\/a><\/p>\n

Indigenous elders face racist booing from crowd members at dawn services in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, with one man arrested and charged over his alleged involvement and others issued with move-on orders.<\/p>\n

At another ceremony in Perth’s St George’s Cathedral, Governor Dawson acknowledged the service of Di Ryder and other Indigenous Australians, adding “some of them have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country, yet have been rejected by some.”<\/p>\n

“I know that the majority of Australians are proud to stand and continue to serve and recognise our Aboriginal Australians,” he said.<\/p>\n

WA Opposition leader Basil Zempilas also said the heckling “goes totally against what this sacred Australian day is about”.<\/p>\n

“I told Di I was sorry for what she had to endure and that she did not deserve it,” he said on social media.<\/p>\n

WA Police Commander Jodie Pearson said members of the community helped police identify members of “issue motivated groups” that disrupted the event.<\/p>\n

She said those asked by police to move on included five people who were given official notices to leave Kings Park before the service began, with a further five told to leave the area shortly after the heckling occurred.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Commander Pearson says a strong police presence dealt with the disruptors. (ABC News: Mya Kordic)<\/p>\n

In Busselton, one person was issued a notice for interrupting a dawn service.<\/p>\n

“It is deeply disappointing that a number of people chose today of all days to deliberately demonstrate antisocial behaviour at dawn services across the state,” Commander Pearson said.<\/p>\n

She said police had bolstered their presence after a similar incident last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I think you’ll find that that preventative behaviour has caused a de-escalation of any bad behaviour,” she added.<\/p>\n

Albany<\/p>\n

About 5,000 people attended the dawn service in Albany \u2014 a city that was the last stop for many servicemen\u00a0and women before they boarded ships at anchor in the Princess Royal\u00a0Harbour and sailed off to war.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People came out in droves in one of the coldest ceremonies in WA. (ABC News: Andrew Chounding)<\/p>\n

Grant Harrison’s grandfather was one of the soldiers\u00a0who made the journey from Albany by boat.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Grant Harrison’s grandfather was among the servicemen who set sail from Albany. (ABC News: Andrew Chounding)<\/p>\n

“He\u00a0got injured, wounded in Passchendaele … I’ll\u00a0stop right there,” he said.<\/p>\n

“It was a very special\u00a0moment knowing that my grandfather left here, and now I live here myself,\u00a0probably walking the same steps,”\u00a0Mr Harrison said.<\/p>\n

Gavin Hamilton and Evette Hamilton are Albany locals who attend the Mt Clarence dawn service every year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Gavin Hamilton and Evette Hamilton attend the Anzac Day dawn service every year.\u00a0 (ABC News: Andrew Chounding)<\/p>\n

“For us it’s a family, personal thing, my wife’s parents\u00a0were both in the air\u00a0force,” Mr Hamilton said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Pop flew two tours of duty\u00a0over Germany\u00a0before he turned 21,\u00a0and Nanna\u00a0was in the field air force\u00a0over in Victoria, and my father was here at the forts as a carpenter.”<\/p>\n

Geraldton<\/p>\n

In Geraldton, 420 kilometres north of Perth, around 3,500 people packed one of the city’s main streets to watch the dawn service.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Geraldton RSL president Karl Edwards led the port city’s service. (ABC News: Chloe Henville)<\/p>\n

“The crowd participation, the number of people that are here to commemorate with us… I’m so proud,” said RSL President Karl Edwards.<\/p>\n

“A lot of the schools are making poppies and cards… they’re definitely making sure the younger generations are aware of the meaning of Anzac day.”<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The silhouette of a soldier at the 2026 Anzac Day dawn service in Geraldton. (ABC News: Chloe Henville)<\/p>\n

Wheatbelt<\/p>\n

About 150 people gathered at Lake Towerrinning for a commemoration away from residential areas which has become a local tradition.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

At Lake Towerrinning\u00a0, marking Anzac Day with jet skis has become a tradition. (Supplied: Astrid Volzke)<\/p>\n

“The early years we just had a veteran who used to come down and stay and get out with a bugle and wake everyone up,” Darkan RSL Member Graeme Peirce\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Darkan RSL Member and returned serviceman Graeme Peirce said the service was “very personal” for all involved. (Supplied: Astrid Volzke)<\/p>\n

“We try to do something a little bit different to connect to young people and tell people how and why we actually have a service.<\/p>\n

“Everyone gets a lot out of it, I think, and it’s just very personal.”<\/p>\n

\"people<\/p>\n

More than 100 people attended the Anzac Day service by Lake Towerinning. (Supplied: Astrid Volzke)<\/p>\n

Kalgoorlie<\/p>\n

In WA’s gold capital Kalgoorlie, many locals are accustomed to waking up early for mine shifts.<\/p>\n

\"Crowds<\/p>\n

Crowds gather at the war memorial in Kalgoorlie for the Anzac Day dawn service. (ABC News: Nicholas R Ward)<\/p>\n

A\u00a0dawn service at the regional city’s war memorial drew a crowd of about 5,000 wearing both hi-visibility uniforms and military regalia.<\/p>\n

“I think it’s a day for us to really remember all that we’ve lost, and that’s the key issue,” Kalgoorlie RSL sub-branch President Robyn Steenbach said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Wearing their hi-viz gear, many workers in this mining town attended the Anzac Day dawn service. (ABC News: Nicholas R Ward)<\/p>\n

“It was great today to see all the young kids here, and they were all singing as well which was awesome.”<\/p>\n

Roebourne<\/p>\n

Dozens of residents attended a dawn service on the main street of Roebourne, or Ieramugadu, on Ngarluma country in WA’s Pilbara region.<\/p>\n

Members of the area\u2019s Indigenous and New Zealand communities were in high attendance, along with service members and resource industry workers wearing high-visibility uniforms.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Wayne Brown, a sergeant in the Australian Army Reserve,\u00a0said the location of the service was beautiful. (ABC News: Alistair Bates)<\/p>\n

Wayne Brown, a sergeant in the Australian Army Reserve\u2019s Pilbara Regiment,\u00a0said the service\u2019s location was particularly special.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe backdrop\u2019s just absolutely beautiful \u2014 the wildlife is doing their natural start of the day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes you feel close to the country, to the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Randall Hinaki and his family performed a rendition of the New Zealand national anthem. (ABC News: Alistair Bates)<\/p>\n

Randall Hinaki and his family performed a rendition of the New Zealand national anthem in Te reo M\u0101ori.<\/p>\n

Broome<\/p>\n

Wakka Wakka man Richard Willmott was among the hundreds of people who gathered in Broome.<\/p>\n

\"Children<\/p>\n

Many children attended the Anzac Day service in Broome. (ABC News: Rachel Jackson)<\/p>\n

“I wear my father’s medals with pride, and I wear mine with pride,” he said.<\/p>\n

“Because our younger people are seeing us old fellas and ladies and it’s showing them that we’ve done this, you can do it.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Wakka Wakka man Richard Willmott wears his father\u2019s medals alongside his own. (ABC News: Rachel Jackson)<\/p>\n

Bob Alexander was also amongst the crowd. The former Special Air Service Regiment member has lived in Broome for 45 years.<\/p>\n

\"Anzac<\/p>\n

Bob Alexander, a former Special Air Service Regiment member, said it was “excellent” to see children at the service. (ABC News: Rachel Jackson\u00a0)<\/p>\n

“It was excellent today with all the schoolkids, because the kids have to tell what the history of our services were,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Leaders have condemned “cretins” who interjected and booed at Perth and Western Australian Anzac Day ceremonies, with the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":754,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1114,1123,1526,1121,1527,1124,1525,1528,335,463,464],"class_list":{"0":"post-753","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-perth","8":"tag-anzac-day","9":"tag-booing","10":"tag-busselton","11":"tag-dawn-service","12":"tag-elders","13":"tag-hecklers","14":"tag-kings-park","15":"tag-march-for-australia","16":"tag-perth","17":"tag-perth-news","18":"tag-wa-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}