Australians outraged by 2002 Bali bombing video

Geelong’s Jessica O’Grady was on the dance floor at the Sari Club when a car bomb exploded outside 20 years ago, but she walked out in tears when footage of the venue in flames projected onto the screen. went.

“We have attended many anniversaries here and up to that point every one has been beautiful and respectful. Today was a really, really great day up to that point. I can’t believe I showed it,” she said.

“Nobody needs to see it. We lived through it. We were here.”

Her friend Kira Clark, who was the first responder after the attack, was also disappointed.

“[They were] If I say it’s a tribute to my family, how can I do that?” she said. “Nobody wants to see it. It’s hard enough to see the sanitized version. That’s your loved one on that site and we’re here to pay tribute and they’re going to do it.” Can you imagine showing

The event was followed by a peace ceremony hosted by Indonesia at the memorial in the afternoon and a tribute hosted by the Australian Government at the Australian Consulate General in Denpasar, followed by Indonesian Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian and National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo. attended. The person who laid flowers at the monument.

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Also present were Australian government officials and representatives from other countries, including Ambassador to Indonesia Penny Williams.

Speeches by Indonesian President Joko Widodo and former Australian Prime Minister John Howard were shown on two large screens to kick off the process.

“We must all unite against terrorism,” Widodo said, describing the Bali bombing as “a barbaric act clearly aimed at creating provocation and terrorism within society.” did.

Howard agreed with the spirit of cooperation in which Indonesian and Australian police joined forces to hunt down those responsible for the bombing and set the tone for relations between the two countries.

“Those who carried out these attacks were trying to drive a wedge between Indonesia and Australia,” he said.

“We can take comfort in the fact that they completely neglected it.”

The video package, titled “Harmony in Diversity,” was presented as an indication of how Indonesia has tracked down and convicted criminals and tackled extremism in recent years. Also included was a clip of a plane crashing into one of his World Trade Center towers in New York City on September 11, 2001.

The handling of the event appeared to be another example of disagreements between Indonesia and Australia on sensitive political and cultural issues.

But Adelaide’s brothers Leslie Reynolds and Jeff Marshall, who lost their father Bob Marshall in the attack, said they found it deeply conflicting.

“When they put out footage of bombings, bombers, etc., we came right back. There’s some footage that we’ve never seen,” Reynolds said.

“They missed the timeline [as well]I am really disappointed and disappointed. ”

Marshall said: I just bowed my head. i couldn’t see it. Aussies tonight, 88 dead, and I thought nothing, so I stayed there tonight. All we got was bombs and carnage.those people [the perpetrators] never show it again. They were executed and disappeared from our lives. Now they’re throwing them in our faces. “

Some Australians at the scene said they were frustrated that they were not allowed on the former Sari club property to light candles during the bombing 20 years ago. carry government officials.

Patek screen sights, Persons subject to parole He spent 11 years in his 20-year prison sentence.

The former Jemaah Islamiyah bomb maker has been held by Indonesian police as a model for reforming extremists and could soon be set free if the Indonesian government approves his release.

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“I walked out of the store in disbelief when I saw Umar Patek and Ali Imron. [who was sentenced to life in jail over the bombings] and explode. At 11:05 pm on the 20th anniversary, I thought, ‘This can’t be happening,'” said Jan Rachinski, a Melbourne resident who lost a friend in Bali on the night of the attack.

“I’m a stubborn person. I’ve met all these terrorists in court and in documentaries. I saw it, I couldn’t believe it.

During the midnight service, candles were lit to remember the victims and poems about love and pluralism were read with dancers.