‘Disgraceful’ booing of welcome to country at dawn services

The sombre atmosphere of the Anzac dawn service in Sydney was broken by disgraceful booing from a section of the crowd on Saturday morning that was condemned by NSW Premier Chris Minns.

“Whilst I’ve never heard booing like that at a dawn service, I’ve also never heard a crowd spontaneously applaud as they did,” the premier said in a statement.

Retired brigadier Williams went further calling them “louts”.

“I’m pretty convinced that none of the bunch of louts who were booing have ever done anything constructive for our nation,” he said.

The atmosphere of the service was broken by the booing that greeted the acknowledgement of Country by Pastor and Uncle Ray Minniecon.

After those disturbing the peace were quieted and the acknowledgement concluded, a chorus of applause and cheering rang for an extended period.

“We will continue to acknowledge country, we will not be bullied.”

“We do have laws to try and deter people from this but it seems like these people still want to be lawless,” Uncle Minniecon said after the ceremony.

“They just need to realise their place in this country.”

Police confirmed a 24-year-old man was arrested for “an alleged act of nuisance” during the service and said several others were moved on.

In Perth’s Kings Park the service was fractured when a small number of people in the crowd booed Indigenous veteran Di Ryder who was giving the welcome to country address.

The response from the RSLWA was immediate and searing. After Ms Ryder finished, an emotional RSLWA CEO Stephen Barton declared, “that was the most disgusting thing I have ever heard,” prompting a wave of supportive applause.

Uncle Mark Brown was heckled at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.

At the conclusion of the service, he stood firm, asserting, “We will continue to acknowledge country, we will not be bullied.”

Premier Roger Cook also did not hesitate to call out the heckling.

“For anyone to disrespect one of our elders and a veteran themselves is just disgusting and disrespectful,” Mr. Cook said.

And in Melbourne Bunurong and Gunditjmara man Uncle Mark Brown was heckled at the Shrine of Remembrance, though the crowd largely drowned out the boos with applause.

• Main Photo: Uncle Ray Minnecon delivers the Welcome to Country during the Anzac Day dawn service at the Cenotaph in Sydney. (AAP)