Prime Minister cautions about increasing extremism following disturbance by neo-Nazis at Anzac Day event

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned far-right figures after neo-Nazis booed a Welcome to Country during an Anzac Day dawn service on Friday.

Bunurong Elder Mark Brown was conducting a Welcome to Country at a dawn service in Melbourne when a handful of — some of whom have identified as neo-Nazis.

During a press conference on Saturday morning, Albanese said he would “condemn” far-right figures at every opportunity.

Self-described neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant and a small group of hecklers shouted “we don’t want to be welcomed” and “this is our country” during speeches.

Their interruptions were drowned out by louder applause from the crowd before police officers ordered him to leave.

While speaking to reporters in Melbourne on Saturday, Albanese said he had also been confronted by some of the same figures earlier in the campaign.

“I had some of those figures confront me here in Melbourne during this campaign,” he said, adding that Australia was a “tolerant, multicultural nation”.

Both Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton condemned the incident. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and RSL Victoria president Robert Webster were among others who criticised those who interrupted the solemn service.

A similar incident during the Welcome to Country at a dawn service in Perth, in which a man could be heard yelling a racist remark, was similarly condemned.

On Saturday, Albanese praised Opposition leader Peter Dutton for condemning the Anzac Day incidents and commended media outlets for coming together to “speak out against hate”.

“I think it’s good that, across the board, the political spectrum condemned what occurred yesterday. It was condemned by Mr Dutton as well. That’s a good thing,” he said.

“Mainstream politics need to speak out against far-right figures and the rise, because we know from the ASIO director-general, Mr Burgess, he has publicly spoken about the threat as well … We know the consequences of this. We need to take this seriously, these threats. Because they are real.”

'Everything everywhere all at once': ASIO details multiple security threats to Australia image

Albanese also warned against online and criticised algorithms that “encouraged people to go to more extreme views, whether it be more extreme views of the far right or the far left”.

‘Not a place for political statements’, says Dutton

At a separate press conference in Far North Queensland on Saturday morning, Dutton said Anzac Day was “not a place for political statements”, again condemning the incidents.

“It’s not a place for anything other than respect. And I think that’s very important to point out,” Dutton said.

“And I just say, too, that nearly 100 per cent of Australians who were at Anzac Day ceremonies yesterday conducted themselves in a way that we should all be very proud of, but we should condemn those bad actions.”

“In relation to a Welcome to Country, if an organiser of a particular event decides that there’s a Welcome to Country, then people can respect that decision,” he added.

Dutton was asked during the press conference about whether or not he would maintain his and not display Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in official news conferences if elected.

Peter Dutton wearing a blue shirt, standing in front of a green tree.

Peter Dutton joined Anthony Albanese in condemning the actions of those who disrupted Anzac Day dawn services. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

“As prime minister, my policy to stand behind one flag is because I want our country to be united under one flag, and I want our country to be as good as it can be, and we can’t be as good as we can be if we’re separating people into different groupings.”

“Every Australian, whether you came here as a migrant from Greece or from Asia or any part of the world, in the 1800s, or you came here in 2018 or if you can trace your family tree back 60,000 years, we are all equal Australians.”

Dutton said “we can respect” Aboriginal and Torres Strait flags “but we unite under one flag as every other … comparable country does”

“That’s how we can help close the gap.”

‘Racism has no place’

Uncle Mark Brown released a statement following the incident, describing the hecklers’ behaviour as a “reflection of your own insecurities and disconnection”.

“You stand on land that has been cared for and nurtured by my ancestors for over 65,000 years,” he wrote.

“Your lineage traces back to settlers who arrived here merely 235 years ago. You are descendants of those who came by boat, seeking refuge, opportunity or exile. Yet, some among you now dare to question our place in our homeland.”

He said First Nations people had “always been here” and that Aboriginal “stories, stories, laws and connection to this land predate” settlers’ arrival by tens of thousands of years.

“If you find discomfort in acknowledging this truth, if you feel threatened by our resilience and our rightful place in this nation, perhaps it is you who should reconsider your place here,” Brown continued.

Bunurong Elder Uncle Mark Brown, who was heckled by neo-Nazis during an Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne, described their behaviour as a “reflection of [their] own insecurities and disconnection”. Source: AAP / Diego Fedele

“We … have endured colonisation, dispossession, and countless injustices. Yet, we remain steadfast. We continue to share our culture, to welcome others to our land, and to seek unity and reconciliation. But we will not be silenced. We will not be erased.

“To those who stand with hatred in their hearts: know that your actions are a reflection of your own insecurities and disconnection … Australia’s future lies in embracing its true history, in honouring the First Peoples and in building a nation rooted in respect, understanding and unity.”

“Racism has no place in this vision.”

Aboriginal Elder left ‘broken-hearted’

The incidents came the same day National Rugby League team Melbourne Storm faced criticism for cancelling a Welcome to Country at its Anzac Day match at the last minute, leaving an Aboriginal Elder “broken-hearted”.

Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin said she was informed on Friday afternoon by the club that she was no longer required to address the crowd at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

Murphy, who has delivered Welcome to Country at Melbourne events for years, said the club later reversed its position, apologised, and asked her to continue with her ceremony as originally planned.

Two First Nations groups were also scheduled to perform, but after the confusion, they all decided to cancel their performances.

The Storm later released a statement blaming a “miscommunication” for the cancellation.

“We acknowledge and accept the timing and miscommunication was not ideal, and we have spoken to the groups concerned,” the statement said.

— Additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.

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