The truth behind Anzac Day booing that shocked Australia - as video emerges of protesters being kicked out of a dawn service

By NICHOLAS COMINO, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 05:45, 26 April 2026 | Updated: 05:58, 26 April 2026 The moment a group was kicked out of an Anzac Day dawn service in Perth has been caught on camera as new details suggest booing at ceremonies across three states had been pre-planned. WA Police blocked 15 people they identified as members of 'issue-motivated groups' from attending dawn services in the city on Saturday morning, amid fears they would disrupt the commemorative event.  The decision was made after hecklers disrupted Welcome to Country ceremonies at dawn services in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. The boos sparked widespread condemnation from First Nations leaders, RSL officials and state premiers, who described them as disrespectful and out of step with the spirit of Anzac Day. Over the weekend, the right-wing group Fight for Australia, formerly known as March for Australia, appeared to take credit for the hecklers. Organiser Bec Freedom posted a montage of the disruptive moments on social media - including an encounter between police and the group in Perth. In the video, an officer tells them they are being removed over concerns they would interrupt proceedings. 'Due to your association with the March for Australia group and their actions in the eastern states, you are being removed from the ceremony due to the belief you will interrupt it,' the officer can be heard telling them.  WA Police (a member of the force is pictured) issued move-on orders to members of 'issue-motivated groups' at an Anzac Day dawn service in Perth 'If you fail to leave, you will be arrested and you will be taken to Perth Watch House. 'Your association to that group has unfortunately ruined your opportunity to remain at the ceremony today.' Earlier in the week, Bec Freedom had written on social media encouraging followers to 'express disapproval' of Welcome to Country ceremonies on Anzac Day, and do so in 'whichever way they see fit'. March for Australia has been behind a series of anti-immigration rallies nationwide, some of which have also featured neo-Nazi speakers and attendees. On Sunday, WA Police confirmed they had issued 15 formal move-on orders across the state, 14 in metropolitan Perth and one in regional WA, with no arrests made. 'Anzac services are not the time or place for disruption, provocation or criminal behaviour of any kind,' the force said in a statement. 'In relation to the dawn service, a total of 15 move-on orders were issued across WA. No arrests were made. The individuals involved were identified as members of issue-motivated groups.' 'As a result of police intervention, the group was removed without incident, and the dawn service proceeded uninterrupted.' Uncle Ray Minniecon was heckled as he performed the Acknowledgement of Country at a dawn service at Sydney's Martin Place on Saturday morning Uncle Mark Brown was also booed while conducting an Acknowledgement of Country during the dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne Pictured: Members on the navy march past the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne during the Anzac Day parade on Saturday WA Police stressed the behaviour reflected only a fringe minority and not the broader community. 'These actions reflect the behaviour of a small minority and do not represent the values of the overwhelming majority of people who attended Anzac Day services respectfully across Western Australia,' police said. 'WA Police attended to protect the dignity of the commemorations, maintain public safety, and ensure the community could pay their respects without disruption. 'Police thank the community for the respectful and dignified manner in which the vast majority conducted themselves.' In Sydney, a 24-year-old man was arrested at the Martin Place dawn service after a small but vocal group booed during the Welcome to Country.  NSW police said the man was arrested for an alleged act of nuisance and will allege he booed at the cenotaph site. Victoria Police confirmed similar behaviour at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. The fact that some Australians booed elders, including those who had fought for the nation, was disrespectful to Indigenous servicemen and women and to other Anzacs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner Katie Kiss said. 'Australians are starting to stand up to that and we saw that yesterday in the thousands of people who stood with our elders during what was a disgraceful display of vilification,' she told ABC News. She added that it remains the prerogative of Traditional Owners and event organisers to decide whether an Acknowledgement of Country is appropriate.  No comments have so far been submitted. 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