Nationwide protests erupt ahead of Australia Day, as thousands rally for Aboriginal rights
MELBOURNE – Tens of thousands of people across the country joined protests on Sunday ahead of Australia Day celebrations in support of Aboriginal groups who say the date is not one to cheer.
Two historic statues in Melbourne were damaged, including one of John Batman, a founder of the country’s second-largest city, who was involved in the killing of Indigenous people.
Australia’s national day on Jan. 26 is a date of mourning for many Indigenous Australians because it marks the day that Captain James Cook landed in Sydney Cove and the beginning of the country’s colonisation by the British.
Protesters were also carrying Palestinian flags, and speakers spoke of similarities between Aboriginal and Palestinian experiences.
“Invasion day. It’s just about the survival of our people. We’re still here. We ain’t going nowhere. Like you know, you can try to assimilate all you want, but we’re still here,” Indigenous Australian Amanda Hill said.
Police estimated that 15,000 people took part in protests and music events in Sydney throughout the day.
In Melbourne’s central business district, police estimated some 25,000 people had taken to the streets.
Speakers at the protests talked about issues important to Aboriginal Australians, including the high numbers of Aboriginal deaths in police custody, missing and murdered Aboriginal women, land rights, and the push to establish a treaty to support Indigenous people.
