Thousands of protesters armed with Aboriginal flags and ‘Black Rights Matter’ signs swarmed the streets of cities across the country on Friday to call for changes to Day.
For many Indigenous ns, celebration of the public holiday on January 26 – the date Britain’s first fleet arrived in Sydney Cove in 1788 – is a painful reminder of the devastating impacts of colonisation on their people and culture.
While supporters of the ‘Invasion Day’ movement are divided as to whether the date should simply be changed or the public holiday abolished – demonstrators are united in their message to those who continue to celebrate the day.
Speaking to Daily Mail , protesters attending Sydney’s rally said those commemorating the public holiday were being disrespectful to Indigenous ns and needed to ‘wake up’.
‘We need to recognise the impact colonialism has on Indigenous people,’ Marco Mannering said.
‘Wake up and ask questions.
‘ Day is a day for reflection about the genocide committed against Indigenous people.’
Marco Mannering (pictured centre) called for non-Indigenous ns to ‘wake up’ and ‘ask questions’ about the significance of January 26 to First Nations people
Ruby Bagwell (pictured) says Aussies need to educate themselves about the impacts of colonisation
Ruby Bagnell, whose family belong to the Wiradjuri people from Central NSW, said many people did not seem to understand the atrocities afflicted upon Aboriginal people since colonisation.
‘People should educate themselves about the significance of Day for Indigenous people,’ she said.
In recent years, Izzy Pisanos has marked the public holiday by attending protests.
She said she believes there are still many social issues that should be addressed before the country was ready to observe a day that is supposed to symbolise national unity.
‘We got a lot of problems in and I don’t think we should be celebrating the day,’ she said.
‘All my friends are Indigenous. I just wanted to show my support [by attending the protest].’
Tanaka Nhongo was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in South Africa before later moving to .
Izzy Pisanos (right) is pictured with her sister at Sydney’s Invasion Day protest on Friday
Tanaka Nhongo experienced oppression during South Africa’s racial segregation policy, Apartheid, which existed from 1948 to the early 1990s
Thousands descended on Sydney’s streets for Invasion Day rallies on Friday
Several protesters clutched a banner reading ‘black lives matter’
Demonstrators donned hats and sunglasses as they braved scorching temperatures in Sydney to hit the streets
Family of Ricky ‘Dougie’ Hampson Jr, a 36-year-old Kamilaroi-Dunghutti man who died just hours after being discharged from hospital in 2014, held up a sign calling for justice
He experienced oppression during Apartheid and came to the protest to show his support for First Nations people as they continue to battle racial inequality in their homeland.
‘I have been detained multiple times… I know what oppression looks like,’ he said.
‘The act of physically being here (at this protest) is important for me.’
He said he did not believe people would be deterred from coming out to support Invasion Day, despite the fact the country overwhelmingly voted ‘No’ to the Voice referendum.
Mr Nhongo said it was surprising that so many ns still seemed oblivious to the maltreatment of Aboriginal people.
He hopes by standing up for what he believes in and the rights of others, that he will inspire his children.
‘It shouldn’t take a person who comes from an oppressed society to tell people about the injustices of Indigenous people,’ he said.
‘I want my son to know that we as an oppressed people can be strong on our own and we don’t need others to stand up for us.
‘There’s always a place for compassion and an acknowledgement of the wrongs that were done in the past.’
A young girl held up an Aboriginal flag as she marched through Sydney’s CBD
A group of demonstrators are pictured walking to the rally at Belmore Park
Demonstrators braced the heat as they listened to speeches at the Sydney rally
Men and women chanted passionately as they walked through the streets
While Invasion Day advocates are all united in calling for change to Day, there is still debate within the campaign over whether another date should be selected to celebrate the diversity of modern .
For Ms Bagnell and Mr Mannering, they would like to see Day completely scrapped.
‘I don’t think we should celebrate Day,’ Ms Bagnell said.
‘I prefer to call it Invasion Day’.
The ‘Invasion Day’ movement has escalated in recent years as growing numbers of protesters take to the streets of capital cities on the public holiday to throw their support behind Indigenous ns.
For First Nations people, colonisation has left an indelible mark on their history – including the state-sanctioned massacres of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the forcible removal of children from parents between mid-1800s to the 1970s.
The run-on effects continue to impact Indigenous ns, who compared to the rest of the community suffer from inequalities such as poverty, poor health/nutrition, housing, low education, level, high unemployment and lower life expectancy rates.
Major companies and businesses have also started rethinking their branding strategies as the Invasion Day movement continues to gain momentum.
One man held a sign calling for truth, justice and equality
Members of the crowd could be seen holding flags and signs as they attentively listened to the speeches
A family wearing Aboriginal flag shirts smiled for a photo as they sat in the park
One man was seen with a Palestinian keffiyeh draped around his neck
Many protesters at the event held Palestinian flags as they used the event to also rally against the war in the Middle East
Police officers were out in force to ensure the crowd remained under control
The protest remained peaceful, with demonstrators calmly sitting in the park as they listened to speeches
Earlier this month, Woolworths sparked controversy after announcing it would no longer sell Day merchandise.
The company cited its reasoning as a ‘gradual decline in demand’ and ‘broader discussions about 26 January and what it means to different parts of the community’.
Aldi followed suit, revealing days later it would also not be stocking any -themed merchandise in its special buy section this year.
Mr Manning, Ms Pisanos and Ms Bagnell welcomed the decision.
‘F*** yeah,’ Ms Pisanos said.
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