Unauthorised wreath eventually laid

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32902, 28 April 1972, Page 8

Unauthorised wreath eventually laid

The wreath with the inscription “To the Forgotten Dead,” which members of the Returned Services’ Association cordon objected to being laid on the War Memorial at the 11 a.m. service on Anzac Day, was found acceptable by the police, laid intact, and not removed.

This was claimed yesterday by the organisers of the wreath in a letter to the editor of “The Press.” Mr R. Campbell, writing on behalf of himself and Messrs A. J. W. Ewart and A. T. Carte , said that they wished to give the reasons behind the laying of the unauthorised wreath at the citizens’ Anzac Day service. He said that they laid the wreath to the dead of past wars, as independent citizens. It was not an anti-war demonstration and the sentiments on the wreath were genuine. “It was not our intention to disrupt the service. However, we object to the restrictions placed on citizens wishing to lay wreaths. We feel that at a citizens’ service, the R.S.A. has no right to vet wreaths, or form a picket line,” he said. Mr Campbell said that had the R.S.A. followed its

counterparts in other centres and shown a little more trust and discretion, no such trouble would have occurred. “We stress that we are not affiliated with any anti-war group and were not involved in any anti-war protest on the day.”

He said the publicity given to the incident in “The Press” was misplaced and emphasised disruption by them at the service, rather than their true sentiments.