WA Echoes NSW, Urges Pokémon Trainers Not Be Dropkicks At War Memorials

Apps have progressed to the point where Pokémon can be digitally projected into the real world, but not so far that they can prevent users from being absolute dinguses. 

That’s the gist of Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett’s quite understandable beef with Pokémon Go, after a slew of wannabe trainers have been found crowding the state’s war memorials.

Speaking to the media today, Barnett said  “war memorials should not be included” in the app’s hunting grounds, ’cause they really are “solemn places or remembrance and respect for those who served our country and lost their lives.”

The Flame of Remembrance at Perth’s Kings Park has been singled out as a designated PokéStop that draws a fair few players, who may or may not be aware of the significance of the site. Depends if they look up from their phones, really.

Barnett’s call echoes a recent plea made to developer Niantic by the New South Wales state government, urging ’em to remove Pokémon from areas like the Anzac Memorial in Sydney’s Hyde Park.

The whole “well fuck, why exactly are Pokémon here?” deal was kinda typified by the discovery of some poison-type critters in Washington DC’s bloody Holocaust Memorial. Concern over the cheapening of the world’s sacred sites has been discussed at length, too.

With all that said, Barnett isn’t a total downer on the app. He said “a lot of people having a lot of fun, they’re getting away from screens and are out there with groups enjoying themselves.”

 

Maybe just don’t get in the way of folks who aren’t visiting the nation’s landmarks just to nab a Dragonite, yeah?

Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: Tomohiro Ohsumi / Getty.