Anzac Day will see massive security, bag searches and bollards
Anzac Day services and parade in Sydney will be shielded by camouflaged bollards. Photo: AAP
Beefed up security measures including crowd control, bag checks and new vehicle blockers will be deployed across Sydney for this year’s Anzac Day commemorations.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Anzac Day events across the city on Wednesday, with NSW Counter Terrorism Minister David Elliott saying there is no specific threat and the measures are in place to ensure the community felt safe.
“It’s a sacred day where people should feel encouraged and safe to go to areas where they will commemorate,” he told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
The new steel-enforced bollards are being trialled for major events like Anzac Day and at other locations across Sydney’s CBD as part of the NSW government’s commitment to public protection, Mr Elliott says.
They will be covered in canvases on Wednesday so the city doesn’t look like a “concrete jungle,” he said.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the security measures were in place because its the “nature of our times,” and ensured the public the government was working with law enforcement to make sure Anzac Day was safe for all.
Crowds attending Anzac Day events in the city are being told to plan their trip and allow extra time for bag checks.
People are urged to avoid driving and instead use the additional public transport services with extensive road closures in place from 2.30am to 4pm.
-AAP