Key Takeaways
- Thousands of people have attended Invasion Day rallies across Australia, calling for a change of date or abolition of Australia Day.
- January 26 is a day of pain and reckoning for First Nations communities, commemorating the landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove in 1788.
- The day is marked by a range of events, including rallies, marches, and cultural festivals, with a focus on truth-telling, action on deaths in custody, and protection of country.
- Many Indigenous leaders and community members have spoken out about the need for recognition and acknowledgment of the historical trauma and ongoing struggles faced by First Nations peoples.
- The calls for change are not just about changing the date, but about addressing the systemic injustices and inequalities that persist in Australian society.
Introduction to the Protests
Thousands of people have turned out at Invasion Day rallies across the country, calling to change the date or abolish Australia Day. Australia’s official national day commemorates the landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove in 1788. However, January 26 has long been a day of pain and reckoning for First Nations communities, with the first Day of Mourning held in 1938. Crowds are braving extreme heat to show support for the Indigenous community at events all over Australia.
Sydney’s Invasion Day Rally
Uncle Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves addressed the Invasion Day rally in Sydney, speaking of his grandson’s death in custody in Alice Springs last year. Kumanjayi White died after being restrained by police in the town’s Coles supermarket. Uncle Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves spoke of the pain and loss felt by his community, saying "My grandson — my jaja — has been strangled for one Coca-Cola… He didn’t deserve to lose his life over one coke. We are losing too much of our loved ones. Not only that, our land has been taken away." The crowd was also treated to a performance by Yolngu musician Baker Boy, who said the meaning of the day for him has changed over time. He’d like to see the day formally acknowledged as a Day of Mourning for First Peoples.
Melbourne’s Dawn Mourning Service
In Melbourne, a dawn mourning service was held at Camp Sovereignty, conducted by Woiwurrung and Boon Wurrung leaders. The service included speeches, traditional dances, songs in language, and the reading of historical accounts of massacres against Aboriginal people. Organisers are calling for January 26 to be a day for truth-telling and sharing culture, but not a day for celebration. Performing a Welcome to Country, Yalukit Willam man of the Boonwurrung, Jaeden Williams said "for our people, this is a day of deep mourning and remembering". However, he also said the day was not just about grief, but about survival and resilience.
Rallies Across the Country
Thousands of people have also gathered in other cities across the country, including Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, and Hobart. In Brisbane, hundreds of people turned out to show their support for a change of date, with community figures addressing the crowd ahead of a march over Victoria Bridge to Musgrave Park. In Adelaide, thousands of protesters braved the searing heat to march in force through the CBD for the annual Survival Day rally. In Canberra, hundreds of Invasion Day demonstrators protested outside Parliament House, chanting "Always was, always will be" and surrounding a smaller group of March for Australia demonstrators. In Hobart, a rally was held on the lawn at Parliament House, with attendees chanting "We won’t stop, we won’t go away, we won’t celebrate invasion day".
Calls for Change
The rallies and events across the country have been marked by a range of calls for change, including changing the date of Australia Day, acknowledging the historical trauma and ongoing struggles faced by First Nations peoples, and taking action on deaths in custody and protection of country. Many Indigenous leaders and community members have spoken out about the need for recognition and acknowledgment of the past, and for a more inclusive and equitable future. As one attendee in Hobart said, "I really believe in addressing that history and trauma and having an open dialogue… I think it’s an important part of being Australian, to acknowledge our past honestly."
