A vigil for the Hobart Cenotaph, held amid fears the military monument will be ‘overshadowed’ by the proposed Macquarie Point stadium, attracted a crowd of over two thousand people, RSL Tasmania claims.
Much of the crowd, part of the ‘No New Stadium / Our Place’ group, arrived following a march from the Elizabeth Street Mall on Sunday morning.
Tasmania Police said the “planned protest activity” resulted in the partial closure of Elizabeth and Bathurst streets in the city for a brief period.
Arriving at the Cenotaph, the walkers, who had been holding an ‘anti-stadium’ banner, were met with performances by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and its chorus.
The crowd were told about the impact of a stadium at Macquarie Point on the Cenotaph’s sightlines and the neighbouring orchestra’s concerns about noise during construction and future concerts.
Greens Senator for Tasmania Nick McKim said he was “proud to march” with those who “have a different vision”.
“We should be building more homes for Tasmanians and fixing our hospitals, not sinking a billion dollars into a waterfront stadium we don’t need,” he said.
The event, widely publicised by the RSL, was previously met with criticism from its veteran members for ‘politicising’ Remembrance Day, which falls on November 11.
RSL Tasmania chief executive John Hardy praised what he claimed was a large turnout of around 2,500 people.
He said the event was ‘just history’ and ‘music without politics or banners’.
Acting Premier Guy Barnett, who recently handed the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs portfolio to Jacquie Petrusma, said the state government is continuing to engage with veterans.
“Remembrance Day should not be politicised in any way, shape or form,” he said.
“We will continue to engage with our veterans in how we can better honour and support our veterans in the building of the multipurpose precinct at Macquarie Point.”
