Ben Roberts-Smith, the former SAS soldier and Victoria Cross recipient, attended an Anzac Day service in Queensland on Saturday, his first since being charged with war crimes. Roberts-Smith, who faces five counts of murder allegedly committed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012, described the day as 'sacred' and said he was attending to pay his respects.
Roberts-Smith has been living in Queensland since being granted bail last week, with restrictions preventing him from leaving the state except for visits to New South Wales and Western Australia for medical and legal reasons. He has vehemently denied the charges, stating, 'I categorically deny all of these allegations' and expressing pride in his service.
The Returned and Services League (RSL) confirmed that Roberts-Smith, as a veteran, was welcome to attend any Anzac service. RSL national president Peter Tinley, himself an SAS veteran, emphasised that the Anzac spirit 'lives in the choices we make today'.
Meanwhile, a group led by a self-described 'white nationalist' plans to hold a rally in Melbourne on Sunday in support of Roberts-Smith, calling for the charges to be dropped. However, a spokesperson for Roberts-Smith stated that neither he nor his family are involved with or have been consulted by the organisers, the National Workers Alliance.
