As the country celebrates Australia Day, Invasion Day protests are happening in different cities.
Invasion Day protesters are making themselves heard loud and clear. They want the government to change the date of Australia Day or abolish it altogether.
Invasion Day Protests on Australia Day
Amidst heavy police presence, different rallies are taking place in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Thousands of Australians have come out to voice their support for the indigenous communities.
According to news.com.au, March for Australia rallies are also being held alongside Invasion Day protests.
The March for Australia rally in Sydney, in particular, saw protesters calling for Pauline Hanson to become Prime Minister.
In Melbourne, an Adam Lindsay Gordon monument has reportedly been vandelised.
What is Australia Day?
The official national day of Australia, Australia Day commemorates the 1788 landing of the First Fleet, as well as the raising of the Union Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by British Royal Navy officer Arthur Phillip.
However, as ABC News notes, the day has been a painful day for First Nations communities.
As a protest, they held the first Day of Mourning in 1938.
Despite yearly calls to change the date or abolish Australia Day, a Roy Morgan poll published on January 20 shows that 72% of Australians believe that January 26 should still be known as Australia Day. Only 28% say that it should be known as Invasion Day.
60.5% say that Australia Day should still be celebrated on January 26. The remaining 39.5% say that the date should be moved.
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