Some Anzac Day Parades Being Cancelled in Australia
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382328)
Rockingham, Australia
January 11, 2017 6:20pm CST
Anzac Day is possibly Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) forces during World War I. This happened on April 25th 1915 when the Anzacs landed at Gallipoli.
Eight thousand Australian and New Zealand soldiers died in the ensuing campaign. The event is often regarded as the day Australia came of age. Every Anzac Day, almost every town in the country holds a service to commemorate the death of so many of our young men in all wars.
However this year, 2017, four Anzac Day marches have already been cancelled in the state of New South Wales. The State Government has introduced new anti-terrorism requirements. Compliance with these would cost the RSL (Returned Servicemen League) clubs thousands of dollars which they say they can't afford and which, at the moment, the State and Federal Governments are refusing to be pay for. .
One of the requirements is the installation of barriers to prevent similar attacks to those in Nice and Berlin where trucks were driven into crowds. There are already compulsory traffic management measures to be met and the RSL clubs say they cannot afford the new requirements.
Hopefully some compromise will be reached. And I guess the problem will have to be addressed in the other states too.
Photo is of Vince and me in a previous life ready to march in an Anzac Day Parade as part of one of the many brass bands. This is the 'before' photo. In the 'after' photo we're not smiling because we're short of breath and our feet hurt. 
15 people like this
15 responses
@JudyEv (382328)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 17
So far it is only affecting clubs in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales.
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
12 Jan 17
awe, that is a cute photo!
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
14 Jan 17
@JudyEv your hubby reminds me of the actor Nick Frost (hot fuzz, The World's End, etc)
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382328)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Jan 17
@Jessicalynnt Never heard of him (Nick Frost, not my husband).
1 person likes this
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
12 Jan 17
It's exactly what terrorists wants to happen, that we get paranoid and seems like they have partially succeeded. There is nothing wrong with taking the necessary precautions though, these guys are really spoiling our fun around the world to push their agenda.
Nice picture
Nice picture1 person likes this
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
12 Jan 17
@JudyEv they are spoiling our fun, it wasn't like this before especially during our time, now we have to be weary even when we are just in the mall with our families. I came from a time when only rain spoiled parades
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382328)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 17
@louievill That's true and it was the same for us. Never locked our cars or our houses. It's all changed.
1 person likes this
@averygirl72 (38848)
• Philippines
12 Jan 17
I like the photo. Nice to know about this occasion in Australia sadly it needs to be cancelled
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382328)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 17
I have a feeling 'we' don't know much about wars other than those our countrymen has been involved in. Thanks for the photo. We haven't been to Gallipoli but we went to French sites where we lost thousands of our young men. There were also many Americans at Bayeux near where the Normandy landings took place.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
12 Jan 17
It is a shame the government won't foot the cost of providing safety for the parades in NSW. The city closest to me tried to make the Veterans groups pay for security and cleanup along the parade route for our Veterans Day Parade years ago. The public outcry when this hit the news was tremendous, and the city backed down.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382328)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 17
I have a feeling that might happen here. Despite fears to the contrary some years ago, patriotism and the need to recognise the sacrifice of our military personnel in all wars has been growing steadily rather than dying away. There will be a huge public outcry if services are stopped.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
12 Jan 17
Must be disappointing for those who have been looking forward to the parades. But knowing the horrible things that are happening around the world today, I think they have a good reason for setting those new requirements.
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10782)
• Canada
12 Jan 17
Too bad you may miss the march this year but safety first and you have good memories of the last one. Great photo.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382328)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 17
We haven't been in a band for years and at the moment the only marches cancelled are in another state. But it could happen here too.
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
13 Jan 17
That's such a shame, though I understand why, with all the terrorism that's happened. I hope a compromise is found. Very nice picture of both of you.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Jan 17
That is terrible not to have Anzac Day parades.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43640)
• Denver, Colorado
12 Jan 17
What a shame. What great history.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Jan 17
What a handsome pair of musicians you two are! Gallipoli was such a huge ill-fated fiasco.
