An Indigenous elder whose Dawn Service Welcome to Country address was interrupted by boos has denied misusing the word \u2018Anzac\u2019 to sell a range of hoodies, shirts, trackies and sneakers.<\/p>\n
Uncle Mark Brown, a Bunurong and Gunditjmara elder, features 17 clothing items on his Dreaming Spirit website with the legally protected word \u2018Anzac\u2019 in the product title, starting at $90 for T-shirts and up to $180 for hoodies and puffer jackets.<\/p>\n
A number of the product descriptions also appear to be AI-generated, with AI detection tool GPTZero giving a \u201chighly confident\u201d rating to samples of the writing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese mesh sneakers carry a quiet, respectful message: \u2018anzac lest we forget\u2019 printed across the knit upper,\u201d reads the description for a $135 pair of \u201cANZAC \u2018Lest We Forget\u2019 Men\u2019s Mesh Sneakers \u2014 Commemorative Military Tribute Shoes\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWear them to commemorations, community gatherings, or when you want a low-key way to honor (sic) memory while staying grounded and comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n
The listing for the $180 \u201cANZAC Country Culture Spirit Full-Zip Hoodie\u201d reads, \u201cCarry a quietly proud piece of ANZAC spirit wherever you go. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels lived-in from the first wear, like a familiar flag folded into your daily routine.\u201d<\/p>\n
A $165 children\u2019s hoodie, titled, \u201cANZAC \u2018Lest We Forget\u2019 Children\u2019s Hoodie \u2014 Remembrance Day Tribute\u201d, bears the description, \u201cCall it quiet remembrance. This children\u2019s hoodie carries the simple words \u2018anzac (sic) lest we forget\u2019 like a small, steady pledge \u2014 soft against the skin and easy to wear on cool mornings. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt settles over little shoulders when families head to dawn services, school tributes, or neighborhood (sic) marches. The hood\u2019s double layer keeps ears warm while the roomy front pocket holds a program, a folded poppy, or a tiny hand. Lightweight, stretchy fabric lets kids run and stand still with the same comfort. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe understated text invites conversation without shouting, so a child can wear memory and respect with comfort and calm.\u201d<\/p>\n
The clothing items feature artwork that includes Australian soldiers, crosses, poppies and the words \u201cLest We Forget\u201d, although the word Anzac does not actually appear on the designs \u2014 contrary to what some of the product descriptions appear to suggest.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo clarify, I have not used the word \u2018Anzac\u2019 on the merchandise in question,\u201d Mr Brown said in an email to news.com.au on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy work is created as a Bunurong Elder and artist to respectfully recognise and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, alongside M\u0101ori and Pacific Islander communities, who have served and sacrificed in defence of this Country and others.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe intent of the work is remembrance, respect, and truth-telling \u2014 particularly for those whose contributions have historically been overlooked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am aware of commentary online, however much of it reflects misunderstanding and, at times, hostility toward Aboriginal people expressing culture and identity in public spaces.<\/p>\n
\u201cI stand by my work and the message it carries.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Brown did not respond when asked whether AI had been used in any of the artwork or product descriptions.<\/p>\n
Under Australian law<\/a>, the word \u201cAnzac\u201d is heavily restricted in relation to some official and commercial uses, with permission required from the Minister for Veterans Affairs.<\/p>\n Breaches of the Protection of Word \u2018Anzac\u2019 Act 1920 can carry up to 12 months imprisonment or fines of up to $10,200 for individuals and $51,000 for corporations.<\/p>\n \u201cDVA investigates all potential breaches of the Anzac Regulations reported to us,\u201d the department guidelines state.<\/p>\n \u201cIn most cases, DVA contacts the individual or entity and requests they cease using the word \u2018Anzac\u2019 if they do not hold a permit or are operating in contravention of it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is common for people to be unaware of the Anzac Regulations. Any misuse is usually corrected quickly and does not require further action. DVA aims to educate the community in the first instance.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Brown has not been charged with breaching the Act.<\/p>\n The Department of Veterans\u2019 Affairs doesn\u2019t comment on individual matters for privacy reasons.<\/p>\n Veterans\u2019 Affairs Minister Matt Keogh was contacted for comment.<\/p>\n Mr Brown delivered the Welcome to Country at Melbourne\u2019s Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday morning, where his comments were interrupted by loud heckling and boos for the second year in a row, after neo-Nazis hijacked the 2025 event.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, I\u2019m here to welcome everybody to my father\u2019s country \u2014 beautiful Bunurong country,\u201d he said as the heckling started.<\/p>\n \u201cBut before we do that, as always, we take a moment, we pay our acknowledgments and we pay our respects. We pay our respects to all of my ancestors. We pay our respects to all of my elders, and we pay our respects to all of my community members \u2014 past, present and emerging \u2014 and we acknowledge the continuous and unbroken connection to country for the Bunurong people.\u201d<\/p>\n Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan called the booing at the Melbourne event a \u201cbetrayal of everything Anzac Day stands for.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is pure disrespect and to direct that at a Welcome to Country \u2014 at Aboriginal servicemen and women who served this nation \u2014 is as ignorant as it is shameful,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnzac Day is not a stage for division. It is about service, mateship, sacrifice and we will never let a hateful few take that away.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria\u2019s Opposition Leader also said booing at the Shrine of Remembrance was not on.<\/p>\n \u201cTo boo at such a place, on such a day, is to forget what the Anzac spirit demands of us: respect for service, reverence for sacrifice and unity in remembrance,\u201d Jess Wilson said.<\/p>\n Mr Brown later shared a defiant message on LinkedIn<\/a>, saying \u201cwhat you saw doesn\u2019t represent this country\u201d and \u201cit doesn\u2019t represent who we are\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re still here. And we\u2019re not going anywhere,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n Dawn Services in Sydney Perth and Adelaide were also marred by booing during the Welcome to Country acknowledgment, prompting widespread condemnation.<\/p>\n But one of the country\u2019s most senior military officers, the Defence Force\u2019s Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones, stressed the importance of \u201cfreedom of expression\u201d after he was asked<\/a> about the \u201cdisappointing\u201d incidents on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, one of the things that we in the defence force are defending, as I\u2019ve said, is our democracy and freedom of expression,\u201d he said on Sky News.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, whilst that might be disappointing, those are exactly the principles that the Australian Defence Force is designed to defend.\u201d<\/p>\n Defence Minister Richard Marles, asked to react to Admiral Jones\u2019 comments on Monday, told the ABC, \u201cThe principle of freedom of speech can be exercised by all of us. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd let me say I\u2019m exercising my freedom of speech right now to make it absolutely clear that the booing that occurred on Anzac Day was a disgrace, and that\u2019s the only way in which it ought to be characterised.\u201d<\/p>\n