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SCOTT Morrison paid tribute to the Australian heroes of the First World War whose sacrifice "separated them for eternity" at the National Remembrance Day ceremony in Canberra, where security seemed to have been strengthened as a result of the Terrorist attack perpetrated Friday in Melbourne.
Snipers were placed on the roof of the Australian war memorial to monitor the crowd as 12,000 people, four times the usual turnout, gathered to mark the 100th anniversary of the end. of the First World War.
Concrete bollards were also installed to block the streets around the memorial and the Australian Federal Police was posted in the crowd.
"It is easy, from the point of view of the century, to lose sight of the sacrifices made on our behalf," Prime Minister Morrison told the crowd in his memorial speech.
"Those who fought in the Great War had the same flaws and weaknesses as any other Australian of any other generation.
"Yet their disinterestedness in the darkest moments set them apart for eternity in the consciousness of our nation."
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The Prime Minister highlighted the bravery of Australian war heroes and recalled those who lost their lives after the war, either as a result of injury or trauma.
"We often say that men and women like this are fearless, but I do not think so," he said. "Because bravery is not the absence of fear, it is the choice to engage in a purpose greater than your fear. It is the moment when fear is defeated.
"They feared a lot, but nevertheless acted.
"And that embodies our highest aspirations as a nation and as a people: to live for others, even when it is unimaginably difficult and extremely costly.
"Unfortunately, the difficulties continued even for those who overcame the storms of the war.
"Many have suffered the physical marks of battle, but also the deep emotional scars of memory.
"Thousands of soldiers and women would die of wounds and desperation ten years after they returned home.
"Their struggles were as much an act of patriotism and love of our country as their enlisted service and this is true to this day for those who struggle daily with these memories."
Opposition leader Bill Shorten and former Prime Minister Paul Keating were among the other dignitaries gathered for the centenary service today.
The director of the Australian War Memorial, Brendan Nelson, did not comment on the security measures taken today by the service. However, he said: "We take into account all the advice provided by the intelligence and security agencies. all."
"We do not discuss details but I feel very safe," he added.
The message that Mr. Nelson addressed to all Australians today was never to forget the sacrifices made to maintain the freedom of our country and to always want to be worthy of them.
"Beyond the crowns and tributes we make, that we should, the best way to honor each and every one of them is the way we choose to live our lives and shape our country," he said. he declared.
"The record crowd tells the World War I mothers, inconsolably bereaved, to the families of the men and women who serve today," he says, "we remember you, we honor you, we seek to to learn from the mistakes made as a nation, we commit ourselves today, if we can, to creating a peaceful world. "
The crowd died at 11 am to remember those who fought and to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.
