Video is circulating of the moment a group of attendees at the Anzac Day dawn service joined together to lift and move a small car that was preventing the memorial from starting.
The scene was captured at the Anzac Day dawn service in New Plymouth, New Zealand, and posted by Reuben Doyle on a Ngāmotu community Facebook page.
In the video, around 15 assistants are seen gathered around the small Mitsubishi hatchback before joining forces to lift the car and move it 2 meters away to allow access to those involved in the service.
As reported by Radio New Zealand, New Plymouth RSA president and veteran Graham Chard was heard asking the men to join the effort to move the car.
‘Kia ora whānau, do we have any muscular men over there please? We need some hands. Come on, the more hands the better. Come on!’ Mr. Chard announced over the loudspeaker.
The service was called to help move a car that was parked in “the worst possible place”
The owner of the car could not be found, so the police gave permission for people to pick it up and take it away.
The car prevented people from taking part in the Anzac Day Dawn service
“We need more hands, come on, whānau.”
Chard told the news outlet that the car had been parked in the “worst possible place.”
“It was right at the bottom of the stairs, which lead up to where the speakers are, right in the middle of where the wreath layers come out to pick up their wreaths,” he said.
‘[The car was] right in the center of where the lights for the crosses and flags are placed, so that people could not go up to the upper level to perform their part of the service.’
The decision to simply move the car was made after the vehicle’s owner could not be found and finding a tow truck “at 5am on Anzac morning is difficult,” Chard said.
Dawn Services saw huge crowds in Australia and New Zealand this year (pictured, Coogee Service, Sydney)
Young and old alike got into the spirit of Anzac Day, honoring all the men and women who sacrificed their lives so Australians could live in freedom.
Large numbers of Australians and New Zealanders made a pilgrimage to Gallipoli in Turkey to remember our fallen heroes.
“We identified a couple of police officers who were getting ready to march in the parade, we have the authority to be able to move the car… and we mobilized as many people as we needed to be able to lift the car and move it.” far enough.
The group’s effort came as Australians and New Zealanders turned out in large numbers for dawn services to mark Anzac Day.
Large numbers also attended official Anzac Day commemorations in Gallipoli, Turkey, and on French battlefields.