Natalie Barr loses it live on air as she says what many are thinking about boos at Anzac Day ceremony
Sunrise host Nat Barr has slammed those who booed Welcome to Country at Melbourne 's Anzac Day Dawn Service.
Thousands of people had turned out in the city's quiet, pre-dawn darkness on Friday to commemorate those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
But it was a group of between six and ten people whose heckles and boos during Bunurong elder Mark Brown's Welcome to Country who cast a shadow over what was supposed to be a touching commemoration.
Sunrise's Nat Barr strongly condemned the behaviour, calling it 'disgusting' and saying she didn't care if people were tired of 'Welcome to Country' ceremonies.
'Save your protests.
'We do not care what you are sick of. Today is not the day to share it.'
The small group's voices were picked up by microphones and loudspeakers during the Welcome to Country, clearly audible to the hushed crowd and broadcast media.
'It's our country!' one yelled.
'We don't have to be welcomed,' screamed another.
The boos and shouts lasted the entire three minutes of the address, with Mr Brown never seeming to waver.
Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner delivered the official Anzac Day address after, which acknowledged Aboriginal Australians - prompting further boos.
'How many more? This is s***,' one man reportedly shouted.
A woman then shouted 'always was, always will be' - before the crowd erupted with applause and helped drown out the disquiet.
Ms Barr was not alone in her disgust. Politicians including Defence Minister Richard Marles, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan unleashed on the small group.
RSL Victoria also said the heckling was completely out of keeping with the intention of the solemn event.
Jacob Hersant, a prominent neo-Nazi figure, was allegedly among those loudly booing.
'This is a day for the Anzacs, it's not for Aboriginals,' he told media after the service.
Hersant was spoken to by police and escorted from the service. It is understood he did not perform a Nazi salute, despite some reports.
Victoria Police said they had 'identified a 26-year-old man from Kensington in relation to the behaviour'.
'He has subsequently been interviewed for offensive behaviour and police will proceed via summons,' they added.
'The male has been directed to leave the Shrine of Remembrance.''
Anzac Day marks the moment thousands of Australian and New Zealand soldiers rowed towards the desolate shores of Gallipoli at half light during World War I.
Over 600 were killed on April 25, 1915, alone, with nearly 9,000 Australians and almost 3,000 New Zealanders killed during the bloody Gallipoli campaign.
A Welcome to Country is a traditional ceremony performed by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander elders to formally welcome visitors to their land and to give their blessing for events taking place on their traditional lands
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Inside the rumoured Liverpool-Manchester rail link plan
Train journeys between Liverpool and Manchester could soon be half as quick if the rumoured rail link goes ahead. The quicker rail link has been on the wishlist of the Greater Manchester and Liverpool mayors after the HS2's northern leg was axed. The multi-billion pound rail link, which would cut journey times between the cities by 20 minutes, could become a reality if it receives government funding in the Chancellor Rachel Reeves' £113 billion spending review today. Journeys between the cities usually take between 45 and 55 minutes, with multiple stops in between. The government is expected to announce funding for the project today, a source told Metro. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said the Victorian rail infrastructure is 'now acting as a brake on growth,' while Steve Rotheram, the Liverpool City mayor, argued that the faster link is 'something that the people in the North quite rightly deserve.' It comes after the Chancellor announced £15 billion funding to transport projects in the North and Midlands last week, including for Greater Manchester buses and the Stockport tram extension, a new rapid transit link in Liverpool, and the new West Yorkshire and Leeds tram system. The £3 bus cap will also remain in place for at least two more years, the Chancellor confirmed. Here is everything that has been revealed about the new rail link so far. The Liverpool-Manchester Railway could 'supercharge economic growth' with a £15 billion boost and 22,000 new jobs during the construction, which could start in the early 2030s, the region's leaders said. Plans show the express rail link would have only three stops between Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime Street. The proposed stops would be at Manchester Airport, Warrington Bank Quay and Liverpool Gateway, although the exact gateway location has not been confirmed yet. Liverpool Lime Street, the seventh busiest train station outside London, and Manchester Piccadilly would be revamped. The city's stations have become 'bottlenecks' with limited platforms and track capacity, Rotheram said. The new railway would help alleviate the 'immense pressure' on the existing network, the mayors said. The areas around each station, will be redeveloped as new 'growth zones,' with new homes, jobs and regeneration in the pipeline ahead of the new rail link. As many as 500,000 new homes could be build along the rail corridor. People in Liverpool reacted to the news on social media, with many saying there should be a direct rail link to John Lennon Airport first. One person said: 'Create a direct link to John Lennon Airport, South Parkway is a total waste of time for people trying to use our airport.' Another Liverpool resident said: 'Manchester has the most to gain out of this plan – not Liverpool.' Burnham said: 'Just over 200 years ago, the world's first passenger railway was built to connect Liverpool and Manchester, transforming the nation's fortunes for centuries. But Victorian infrastructure is now acting as a brake on growth. More Trending 'A new Liverpool-Manchester Railway would be shorter than both London's Elizabeth line and East West Rail connecting Oxford and Cambridge, but would punch well above its weight in both growing the UK's economy and better connecting our high-growth sectors. 'For too long, such major infrastructure projects in the UK have been delivered in a top-down way. 'We want to work hand-in-hand with government to plan and deliver this railway from the ground up, enabling us to maintain our growth momentum for Greater Manchester. A new, locally-led delivery model will mean we can build our pipeline of regeneration, new homes, skilled jobs and green growth around the rail line with real certainty.' The northern mayors travelled to Westminster ahead of the spending review to ramp up the pressure on the government to back their plans. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man, 28, dies after crash that closed A14 for hours MORE: I tried out every Londoner's worst nightmare and spoke to other commuters MORE: Map reveals the most up-and-coming sex positions in major UK cities
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Edinburgh is held back by can't do attitude. It should be like Glasgow
The despoilation of much of Victorian Glasgow in the 1960s illustrates how badly things can go if there is no restraint or respect for the past, and Edinburgh citizens should be forever grateful a halt was called before the Abercrombie plan to turn Princes Street into a two-deck super highway lined with brutal Stalinist blocks was executed. Potterrow and Bristo Square was just the beginning. Read more But at least Glasgow can summon a can-do attitude when necessary, and the India Street student skyscraper can't be as bad as the grim post-war government offices it will replace. Since Edinburgh University got away with the Appleton Tower in the 1960s, overlooking Bristo Square and the only half-wrecked George Square, tall buildings in Edinburgh are taboo. The last serious attempt was Tiger Developments' rejected 16- storey hotel at Haymarket, pitched as a 'gateway' to the city centre, stymied by fierce local opposition led by the late judge and West End resident, Lord McCluskey. Instead there is a black stump of offices in a half-built square flanked by the foundations for the International Conference Centre's hotel school, blocked by Edinburgh Council, its ranks of yellow-capped rusting metal rods from exposed reinforced concrete forlornly waiting for the first floor, a monument to the victory of personal animosity over vision. My overall impression from The Herald's magnifying glass on Edinburgh is the extent to which a 'can't do, unless…' attitude still dominates debate, in which nothing happens without a host of conditions and caveats, adding cost and time to the smallest project. Preserving the cityscape is well understood and accepted, but other adornments make Edinburgh a costly place to invest. New schools must be built to Scandinavian 'Passivhaus' standards of insulation, housing schemes must have district heating systems, car parking is limited but extensive bike storage is de rigueur, all for the sake of the unachievable goal of reaching net zero by 2030. Edinburgh's George Street looking west. Picture:Gordon Terris (Image: Gordon Terris) New policy means 35 per cent of homes in all but the smallest new developments must be 'affordable', which makes the rest more unaffordable. I remember sitting with astonishment on the Development Management (DM) sub-committee as my colleagues considered rejecting the redevelopment of the old Sick Kids hospital because there should be two more affordable three-bedroom flats, despite the housing charity involved insisting there was no market for them in that location. Speaking to a highly experienced development agent this week, he said that despite positive personnel changes on the DM sub-committee, building in Edinburgh was just getting harder. Policy-driven add-ons, like heat pumps and expensive insulation standards, mean obtaining planning permission is all very well, but getting companies to actually build is another when a diminishing number of construction contractors can prioritise simpler and more cost-effective schemes elsewhere. Too many councillors set policy on the basis of what they want the world to be, not as it is, usually underscored by pronouncements that as Edinburgh is a wealthy place individuals and businesses should be happy to stump up more for the privilege. In the city of Enlightenment, it's apparently incumbent on us all to set an example to mankind, and like penitents who should feel guilty about any comfort or indulgence accept the cost and inconvenience of councillors' whims. Concentrating so many arguments in the space of a week has, if anything, exposed the many contradictions which dog every argument about Edinburgh's future. We want it to be a good place to live and work, we want to attract more talent to boost the economy, but we'll make it harder to build the necessary homes and infrastructure. Of course we need more housing, especially with over 5,000 families currently in temporary accommodation, but we don't want tower blocks or urban sprawl. We want everyone to live and work in a '20 minute neighbourhood' where everything is within walking distance, but we're going to persuade businesses to move out to make way for housing. We love our bus company, but they shouldn't be driving down Princes Street. Read more Similarly with tourism. We want Edinburgh to be a welcoming and popular place for visitors, just not so many of them, and we don't want the city to be a Harry Potter or Braveheart theme park (as if it is…). We want tourists to spend money, but they shouldn't be sold junk. I marked my first trip to New York by buying a little yellow taxi, so I guess that makes me a tat-loving philistine. If they do come, they should be persuaded the Granton Gasholder is as worth seeing as the Castle and Holyroodhouse. We love the freedom and chaos of the Festival Fringe, but it needs to be brought under control. We need overseas students to sign up for expensive university courses because we can't afford places for all the qualified locals who must be funded by, guess who, the taxpayer. But we don't want to allow more places for them to stay. We want businesses to come and invest, but they have got to be the right kind of firms who must play their part in tackling poverty so that 'no one gets left behind'. As for high-tech skilled jobs at defence specialists like Lenovo, couldn't they make air fryers or bread makers instead? The good news is some in strong positions of influence get all this, but in a city which to outsiders must seem to have it all, the challenge is to persuade all those who make the rules that it can't. John McLellan is a former Edinburgh Evening News and Scotsman editor. He served as a City of Edinburgh councillor for five years. Brought up in Glasgow, McLellan has lived and worked in Edinburgh for 30 years.
Metro
02-06-2025
- Metro
'Underrated' UK seaside town gets train to London for first time in 30 years
A beloved UK seaside town could finally be reconnected to the capital after decades of being cut off from direct rail links. For the first time since 1992, direct trains could soon be running from Cleethorpes to London, reconnecting the Lincolnshire seaside town to the capital after more than 30 years. The last time direct services were running between the two destinations, John Major was Prime Minister, Whitney Houston was topping the charts, and the first text messages were being sent. However, that could soon change as rail operator Grand Central submitted an application to reintroduce services back in March. It hopes to connect Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Habrough, and Scunthorpe with London King's Cross as early as December 2026. If approved, there would be four return services a day, creating more than 775,000 additional seats each year and potentially unlocking £30.1 million annually for the region. 'This isn't just about attracting future investment into our town, it's about addressing missed economic and social opportunities due to current poor connectivity,' said Melanie Onn, the MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes. After delays in getting plans underway, MPs met again in May to discuss the proposal, with Simon Lightwood, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for transport, saying the Department's view will be passed on 'in due course'. Paul Hutchings, managing director responsible for Grand Central, previously commented on the plans: 'If approved, these services will play a pivotal role in driving regional growth by linking underserved communities to key commercial opportunities, benefiting both local businesses and passengers.' Nothing is set in stone just yet, and there's no confirmation on how much tickets will cost if the direct service is approved. However, Grand Central said it hopes to have the trains running by December 2026. At the moment, getting to Cleethorpes from London requires multiple changes. Passengers typically have to take the train from Cleethorpes to Scunthorpe, to Scunthorpe to Doncaster and from there to King's Cross. The journey takes just under four hours in total, and that's assuming all trains run on time. It will set you back around £25 for a one-way ticket on Trainline. There's plenty to explore once you get to the seaside town, and, of course, the top activity is the beach. Expect arcades and fish and chip shops along the promenade and a Victorian-era pier to stroll along. The beach has a four-star rating on TripAdvisor, based on hundreds of reviews. One user, 'Roger B', said: 'Cleethorpes is so underrated. The promenade is clean with a lovely waterfall.' Others described it as a 'beautiful beach', boasting that the sand was 'soft' and 'clean'. Cleethorpes boating lake is another main attraction. Visitors can hire pedal boats, feed the ducks or enjoy a stroll around the water. There are also lots of independent shops, cafes and beachfront pubs to explore. And, if all goes to plan, it may be easier for Londoners to make a day trip there. More Trending If you're after visiting another underrated UK seaside town, why not take a trip to Treardurr Bay, which was named the UK's best coastal gem earlier this year. The beach lies just south of Holyhead in Wales and has been praised as one of the 'most prestigious beaches in Anglesey'. Not only does it have 'crystal clear waters,' but it's relatively quiet, so you won't find yourself competing with hundreds of other beachgoers for a spot. The research, conducted by Insure4Boats, analysed Met Office data, local attractions and social media comments across more than 250 coastal towns. It described the bay as the 'perfect playground for water sports enthusiasts with kayak and paddleboard rental available.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: SXSW London: Five live performances, film showcases and talks you must see MORE: Rock legend, 78, wheeled off stage in coffin during bizarre exit MORE: 'SXSW London will be a love letter to the city – we ought to be here'
