A controversial memorial wreath laid at Wellington Cenotaph on Anzac Day has gone missing.
Barrister Felix Geiringer posted a photo of the Cenotaph on Thursday, showing while a number of wreaths placed on Anzac Day were still in position, the one laid by Peace Action Wellington had been removed.
The laying of the wreath sparked controversy on Tuesday after a Newshub interview with those who laid it was interrupted by 12-year-old James Broome-Isa, who told them their timing was "wrong, wrong wrong".
"For goodness sake: do it tomorrow, do it the day before, do it any day but today! It is wrong, wrong, wrong," the boy said.
"You are so inappropriate. I cannot believe this. I really think it's a joke."
But by Thursday evening, the wreath has disappeared.
Peace Action Wellington's Leila White said they were disappointed to hear the wreath had gone.
"For the most part, we have received positive feedback regarding our peaceful remembrance on Anzac Day," she told Newshub.
"We attended the citizens' wreath-laying ceremony at the cenotaph in Wellington with permission from the organisers. We laid a wreath and placed photos for the six civilians killed in Afghanistan, allegedly by the NZ SAS in Operation Burnham in Afghanistan in 2010."
While it had support from some, the laying did receive a fair amount of criticism, including from RSA national president Barry Clark.
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He told The AM Show on Wednesday he was "very annoyed" at the peaceful anti-war protest.
"Anzac Day is our day. It's a day of remembrance. As the young man said, pick any other day."
It's not known who took the wreath and photos away from the Cenotaph, but Ms White hopes it'll be returned.
"We don't know who has removed the wreath and photos but we would like to emphasise to whoever did so that loss of life in war is abhorrent, and that under international law any civilian casualties warrant independent investigation," she said.
"If they would like to put the wreath and photos back, that would be great; the flowers could probably use a spritz by now!"
Ms White said despite its sudden disappearance, they're not planning on replacing the wreath.
Along with the wreath, the anti-war group placed photos of civilians allegedly killed in Afghanistan by New Zealand SAS soldiers.
Newshub.
