Whyalla Anzac Day dawn service is moved to AFTER dawn ‘for safety reasons’
An Afghanistan veteran is leading a chorus of anger against the decision to move a city’s Anzac Day morning service to after dawn due to ‘safety concerns’.
Like everywhere in Australia, the people of Whyalla in South Australia have always gathered at dawn to pay their respects to those who served the nation on Anzac Day.
But in a move branded ‘utterly ridiculous’, Whyalla RSL has changed its service time to 6.45am – 15 minutes later than normal and after the sun has risen.
An Afghanistan veteran is leading a chorus of anger against the decision to move a city’s Anzac Day morning service to after dawn due to ‘safety concerns’. The Whyalla morning service has been depicted in previous years
“It kind of defeats the purpose of having it 20 minutes after the sun is up,” the 30-something veteran said The advertiser.
“It’s just sad really because we have a long-standing tradition and now it’s changed.”
The former soldier said he had lost friends in Afghanistan and said the move to change the time of service was a “lazy cop.”
He still plans to attend the service, which typically draws about 200 people.
Whyalla RSL has changed its service time to 6.45am – 15 minutes later than normal and after the sun has risen
RSL SA chairman Dave Petersen said the start time change was made because a veteran was injured a few years ago when he tripped over a curb in the dark.
“We could be going on at 6am or 6.30am and people would be falling over and people would be complaining that we’re not putting on a safe event,” Mr Petersen said.
He added that people were welcome to arrive earlier, and that he would be there at 5am to pay his own respects.