Children banned from marching in Anzac Day parade
The 2018 national Anzac Day parade will not feature children after the RSL decided to ban them from the official march.
The RSL’s ACT branch’s John King sent a letter to any participants hopeful of marching this year saying children under the age of 12 will not be allowed to take part, the ABC reports.
He added relatives of deceased veterans shouldn’t march, but they have not been banned.
The decision comes after the RSL was informed that public liability insurance wouldn’t cover children in the march.
In 2017, a child tripped over and accidentally knocked down an elderly person in the march, who had to be treated by paramedics.
Mr King added kids under 12 also couldn’t ride in vehicles. He said youth groups have accepted the decision.
"We've set the age of 12 as an age limit that we feel children can reasonably understand what's going on," he said.
"(They can) be more across what's going on, and if they have to manage the person as a carer, that's reasonable."
Girl Guides are one of the organisations the RSL has spoken with.
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The organisation, in a letter to members, said participants between 5-11 will hand out rosemary and form a guard of honour before being taken back to the Guide tent.
Mr King said any changes made would be looked at after the event and doesn’t believe the decision will affect how young people engage with Australian military history.
It follows outcry after the RSL ACT branch also decided to ban community bands from performing in this year’s commemorations.
Instead, the Royal Military College Band will be the sole performers.
One user, a retired RAAF member, wrote on Facebook that both recent decisions by the RSL are “overkill at best” and the band decision was “obscene”.
