HEROIC MOMENT ANZAC DAY ATTENDEES LIFT AND MOVE A CAR

Video is circulating of the moment a group of Anzac Day dawn service attendees joined together to lift and move a small car 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 Facebook community page.

In the clip about 15 attendees were seen gathering around the small Mitsubishi hatchback before joining forces to lift the car and move it 2metres away to allow access for those involved in the service.

As reported by Radio New Zealand, New Plymouth RSA president and veteran Graham Chard was heard calling for men to join the effort to move the car.

'Kia ora whānau, do we have any muscle men out there please? We need a few hands. Come on, the more hands the better - let's go!' Mr Chard announced over the speaker.

'We need some more hands, come on, whānau.'

Chard told the media outlet the car had been parked in the 'worst possible place'.

'It was right at the bottom of the steps, leading up to where the speakers are, right in the middle of where the wreath-layers come out to get their wreaths,' he said.

'[The car was] right in the centre of where the lights are positioned for the crosses and the flags, so that people actually couldn't get up onto the upper level to be able to conduct their part of the service.'

The decision to simply move the car was made after the vehicle's owner couldn't be found and finding a tow truck 'at 5am on Anzac morning is hard', Mr Chard said.

'We identified a couple of police who were preparing to march on the parade, we've got authority to be able to shift the car ... and mobilised as many people as we needed to be able to pick the car up and move it far enough away.'

The group effort came as Australians and New Zealanders turned up in huge numbers at dawn services to mark Anzac Day.

Large numbers also turned up for the official Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli in Turkey and on the French battlefields. 

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2024-04-25T05:46:39Z dg43tfdfdgfd