Indigenous rights activists protest as Australians mark the anniversary of British colonisation
Two historic statues were vandalized in Melbourne ahead of Australia Day celebrations on Sunday, with tens of thousands of people across the country joining protests in support of Aboriginal groups who say the date is not one to make fun of.
A statue of colonist John Batman, the founder of the country’s second largest city and who was involved in the killing of indigenous people, was listed in half, while a monument commemorating Australian soldiers in the First World War was captured in red and the words “land back”. according to police and local media reports.
Australia’s National Day on January 26 is a day of mourning for many indigenous Australians as it marks the day Captain James Cook landed in Sydney Harbor and the beginning of the colonization of the country by the British.
Protesters also carried Palestinian flags and speakers spoke of the similarities between the Aboriginal and Palestinian experiences.
“Invasion day. It’s just about the survival of our people. We’re still here. We’re not going anywhere. As you know, you can try to assimilate all you want, but we’re still here,” Indigenous Australian Amanda Amanda Hill said.
In Sydney, an artwork by Wiradjuri-Biripi artist James P. Simon was projected onto the sails of the Opera House in one of many dawn reflection events around the country.
Police estimated 15,000 people took part in protests and music events in Sydney throughout the day.
In Melbourne’s central business district, police estimated around 25,000 people took to the streets.
Speakers at the protests discussed issues important to Aboriginal Australians, including the high number of Aboriginal deaths in police custody, missing and murdered Aboriginal women, land rights and the push for a treaty to support Indigenous people.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s efforts to establish a constitutional voice for Aboriginal people in Parliament was audibly defeated In the 2023 referendum.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said in a social media post that Australians “shouldn’t be afraid to celebrate” their country on Australia Day.
Dutton said the country must unite under one flag and would remove the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from government news conferences if he becomes prime minister in an election that must take place by mid-May.
