Peace activist Liz Remmerswaal said the military parade normalised war and weapons and was inappropriate so close to Christmas. Photo / File
Peace activist Liz Remmerswaal said the military parade normalised war and weapons and was inappropriate so close to Christmas. Photo / File
A Hawke's Bay peace advocate says the sight of 100 soldiers marching down Dannevirke's main street as part of a charter parade earlier in December was "inappropriate" so close to Christmas.
"If Christmas is a time of peace and goodwill, having 100 soldiers march in the Dannevirke Christmas parade brandishingautomatic weapons seems ludicrously out of place," Liz Remmerswaal said.
The soldiers from the 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment made their way down High St on Saturday, December 5, as part of a charter parade which signified the relationship between the unit and the Tararua District.
Dannevirke RSA president and former Tararua mayor Roly Ellis played an important role in the establishment of the charter.
A serviceman himself, he said the charter, and parade, wasn't about "war or fighting" and was rather about building a connection with civilian life.
He said the charter parade "went very well", but felt the Christmas parade afterwards was what really drew the crowds.
Remmerswaal, director of World Beyond War Aotearoa, said several family members - including her father - had served.
About 100 soldiers, including those carrying arms, marched down Dannevirke's main street as part of the charter parade. Photo / File
"It came at great cost to them.
"I respect people their country and believe they're doing the best they can.
"It's because I recognise their sacrifice that I work so hard."
However, she felt the military presence so close to the Christmas parade - with an hour in between the two - was inappropriate and normalised it in children's minds.
