An attendee at Melbourne’s Anzac Day Dawn Service has told a court he was “disgusted” by an alleged effort to disrupt the Welcome to Country.
Retiree Nigel Meinrath was called to give evidence in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday for the first day of a hearing for four men accused of offensive behaviour.
Mr Meinrath told the court that he attended the service with his brother, and was standing next to a man who began calling out.
“I could hear particularly a fella to my left who was sort of denigrating the Welcome to Country, saying the Anzacs didn’t need to be welcomed to country and similar statements,” he said.
“He was trying to be disruptive … It was a continual disturbed barrage, it didn’t stop at the end of the Welcome to Country.”
Mr Meinrath said he didn’t believe the man was being “aggressive” and could hear others also calling out, but he believed it wasn’t a “pro-Anzac sentiment”.
“I was disgusted,” he said.
“It just showed no respect for the people who were there for Anzac Day to honour their parents and grandparents.”
Four men, Jacob Hersant, Nathan Bull, Michael Nelson and Ian Lomax, are each facing charges of offensive behaviour, offending against decency in the Shrine of Remembrance and taking part in a disturbance within the Shrine.
Each were previously affiliated with the now-disbanded National Socialist Network group and were supported in court by other associates.
Outlining the Crown’s case, prosecutor Ryan Mallia said it was alleged the four men were booing and yelling during the service on April 25 last year.
Mr Mallia said the alleged incident began when Indigenous Elder Mark Brown began a Welcome to Country ceremony about 5.40am and later continued when Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner was speaking.
Mr Hersant was alleged to have called out “what about the Anzacs?” and “We don’t need to be welcomed to our own country”, while Mr Nelson was allegedly heard yelling “The Anzacs fought for white Australians” and “The first heads of the RSL were pro-White Australia”.
Mr Hersant, Mr Bull and Mr Nelson are fighting the charges self-represented, each flagging they would argue their alleged acts were protected political communications, while Mr Lomax is represented by lawyer Sam Norton.
“Political expression and political communication is just that. It can’t be offensive. It’s just expression,” Mr Bull said.
Mr Norton told the court the evidence in relation to his client was “quite different” to the other three accused men.
“Your Honour will see in due course footage; none of it will depict my client saying or doing anything that could amount to the offences by which he was charged,” he said.
About 2 ½ minutes of footage from Network 10 cameraman Trung Ly was played to the court, capturing one man, alleged to be Mr Nelson, arguing with members of the crowd before he is removed.
Another witness, teacher Leanne Carr, said she was standing near two men who began booing during the Welcome to Country.
She told the court she was “really upset and disgusted” that the two men continued after “so many people were asking them to show respect”.
Ms Carr saiid one, alleged to be Mr Nelson, was making “a lot of what you would consider white supremacy statements”.
“At one point he said, ‘I’ve done more for this country than any of the Anzacs’ which was highly offensive,” she said.
Ms Carr was challenged on this by Mr Nelson who said the comment was “not true”.
“No I stand by it,” she replied.
The hearing will continue on Tuesday.
