Act party slams ‘pitiful attempt to detract’ from Anzac Day as fountains turned red across NZ

The Act Party has criticised pro-Palestinian groups for protesting on Anzac Day, saying it was a “pitiful attempt to detract” from the solemn commemoration.

Wellington’s iconic Bucket Fountain on Cuba St was vandalised by protesters who dyed the water red and plastered it with posters referencing the conflict between Israel and Gaza.

“Judaism is peace, Zionism is violence”, “No glory in war, No pride in genocide” and “Don’t glorify war” were some of the messages displayed on the posters.

Auckland’s Trevor Moss Davis Memorial Fountain in Mission Bay appeared a dull pink on Thursday morning, however, it remained unclear who had targetted the landmark.

In Christchurch, the Bowker Fountain in Victoria Square was dyed red. Nelson’s Moller Fountain and Hamilton’s Tongue of the Dog water feature were also dyed.

The Trevor Moss Davis Memorial Fountain in Auckland's Mission Bay was dyed pink on Anzac Day, as other fountains were similarly dyed by pro-Palestine protesters. Photo / Facebook

Wellington's bucket fountain has been targeted by anti-war protesters on Anzac Day.

In addition to the vandalism, a group of protesters wearing Palestinian scarves lay on the ground, wrapped in plastic and pretending to be dead, outside the National Anzac Service in Wellington. The group responsible, Peace Action Wellington, sent a press release to media calling the protest a “die-in for Palestine”.

Act MP Mark Cameron called the protesters’ actions “pitiful attempts to detract from Anzac Day” and said they “are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream New Zealand”.

The Herald asked Act leader David Seymour for his thoughts and he said he endorsed his MP’s comments.

Cameron said while the Anzac Day services had been marred by “nonsense in Wellington”, the service he attended in Dargaville was “a perfect, dignified commemoration of the courage of the Anzacs”.

Spirit undimmed despite mishaps

The country’s Anzac spirit was not dampened by wild weather cancelling the national commemoration service in Wellington or the New Zealand Defence Force’s luggage being lost on the way to Gallipoli.

Meanwhile, in New Plymouth, dawn service attendees banded together to physically lift and move a car that was in the way of proceedings.

However, some stark messages were delivered this Anzac Day, including from Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters who used his speech at Gallipoli to say: “We live in a troubled world, the worst in memory.”

The world has emerged from the global pandemic more divided, Peters said.

Regional instabilities and the chaos they create threaten the security of too many, he said.

“It took Winston Churchill nearly 40 years after the fighting waged across this peninsula, right here, and a second World War, to learn from Gallipoli’s experience to declare, “to jaw, jaw is better than war, war.”

“It was true then. It is true now. Never has diplomacy been more needed to de-escalate conflicts and ease tensions. This is our lesson and resolve when leaving Gallipoli today.”

A strong message was also delivered by 17-year-old Rotorua Boys’ High School head boy Jared Lasike at the city’s memorial service.

Rotorua Boys’ High School head boy Jared Lasike. Photo / Andrew Warner

Lasike spoke about his great grandfathers’ contributions at war and said their comradeship brought the country together, unlike the divisiveness experienced today.

“Race, political beliefs and religion are all motivators in separating our people. People are more concerned with being correct and proving a point... This is where we can learn more from our ancestors,” he said.

In Wellington, the National Anzac Day Commemoration Service was cancelled due to strong winds.

The weather was also a problem for the service last year when choristers from New Zealand’s top youth choir began collapsing as the sun-soaked ceremony proved too much without shelter.

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage said the “unfortunate” decision to cancel today’s 11am event at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park had been made for the health and safety of veterans, visitors and guests.

Strong winds cancelled the National Anzac Day service in Wellington.

A small, reduced service was moved indoors to escape the wind, with veterans and officials invited into the Hall of Memories.

MetService meteorologist Daniel Corrigan said a wind gust of 109km/h was recorded in Kelburn at 10am.

While gusts reached speeds relatively close to the warning criteria of 120km/h, they were not expected to get stronger and were set to ease overnight, Corrigan said.

In Gallipoli, the Anzac Day dawn service went ahead smoothly after it was thought NZDF personnel would have to play a reduced role in the ceremony when soldiers’ uniforms and musical instruments were lost in transit.

The baggage was lost amid the chaos of the Dubai floods last week.

The NZDF’s Gallipoli lead, John McLeod, said members of the contingent who were not performing ceremonial roles had lent their uniforms to other soldiers who were.

The Australian Defence Force, too, had lent a bugle to NZ’s contingent so the Last Post could still be played.

“It has been a case of coming up with solutions to each problem and the contingent have done this really well collectively. Morale is high and we have a very positive attitude towards making the commemorations a fitting tribute to those who have walked this ground before us”, McLeod said.

Thousands of people across the country woke early to attend dawn services including at the Muruika Soldiers cemetery in Ōhinemutu. Photo / Andrew Warner

In our largest city, the Anzac Day Dawn Service began at 6am at the Auckland War Memorial Museum in the Auckland Domain, while Vector lights on the Auckland Harbour Bridge were lit in poppy red.

In Christchurch, for the second time since the 2011 earthquakes, the city’s dawn service returned to Cathedral Square under the newly reinstated Citizens’ War Memorial.

In Paraparaumu, there was a special moment at the service when a new joint plaque was unveiled on the War Memorial Arch.

The plaque is in honour of two Kāpiti men – Sergeant Alastair (Al) Don and Staff Sergeant Richard (Dick) Grigg – who were killed in Vietnam.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.