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 protesting in support of Aboriginal groups saying the day was not for fun.

A statue of colonist John Batman, the founder of the country’s second largest city and who was involved in the genocide of Aboriginal people, was desecrated, while a monument commemorating Australian soldiers in the First World War was painted red with the words “go back,” according to police and local media reports.

Australia’s national day on Jan. 26 is a day of fasting for many Australian Aborigines because it marks the day Captain James Cook arrived at Sydney Cove and the beginning of the colonization of the country by the British.

Demonstrators also carried Palestinian flags, while speakers talked about the parallels between the experiences of the indigenous people and the Palestinians.

“The day of the attack. It’s about the survival of our people. We’re still here. We’re not going anywhere. As you know, you can try to measure all you want, but we’re still here,” Australian native Amanda said. Hill said.

In Sydney, the artwork of Wiradjuri-Biripi artist James P. Simon was displayed on the canvas of the Opera House in one of the many morning exhibitions across the country.

Police estimated that 15,000 people took part in protests and music events in Sydney throughout the day.

In Melbourne’s business centre, police estimated 25,000 people had taken to the streets.

Speakers at the protests spoke about issues important to Aboriginal Australians, including high numbers of Aboriginal deaths in police custody, missing and murdered Aboriginal women, land rights, and the push to establish a treaty to support Aboriginal people.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s efforts to establish an Aboriginal constitutional voice in Parliament were soundly defeated in the 2023 referendum.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton wrote on social media that Australians “shouldn’t be afraid to celebrate” their country on Australia Day.

Dutton said the country must be united under one flag, and that he will remove the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from government press conferences if he becomes prime minister in the mid-May election.