Thousands Join ‘Invasion Day Rally’ As Australia Day Sparks Divided Responses

Police maintained a strong presence in the city’s central business district as approximately 25,000 people marched from Parliament House to Flinders Street for the Invasion Day protest, while a smaller counter-protest gathered in support of Australia Day.

Victoria Police reported that both events were peaceful, with no arrests made, despite minor verbal clashes near the Yarra River.

Indi Clarke, a member of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, addressed the Invasion Day crowd, saying, “January 26 represents the beginning of dedicated attempts to wipe our people, our cultures, our language, off the face of this planet.”

Indigenous elder Uncle Gary Foley emphasized the significance of the day, stating, “Today’s the day that we remind the Commonwealth that we’re still here. Today is the day that we remind them that we can’t have reconciliation without recognition.”

Speakers at the rally urged non-Indigenous Australians to educate themselves about the nation’s history with First Nations people. They criticized media coverage of Indigenous issues and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s stance against standing in front of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags if elected prime minister.

The protest also received support from pro-Palestine activists, who have been holding weekly marches in Melbourne since October 2023. Nasser Mashni, from the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network, expressed solidarity with Indigenous Australians, saying, “My dad used to bring me in the ’70s. They weren’t Invasion Day rallies then; they were commemorations … with perhaps 200 or 500 people. Nothing like this.”

Meanwhile, a pro-Australia Day rally attracted a smaller group of around 70 attendees, including white supremacist Jacob Hersant. Rally organizer Matt Trihey delivered a speech opposing government policies and immigration, saying, “We are simply a group of people who love this country, do not accept what is happening to this country and want change.”

By the Yarra River, many Melburnians spent the day enjoying picnics and preparing for the Australian Open finals. “We’re more celebrating the long weekend, a long weekend off of work, just prepping for the coming weeks,” said Shaina Mittal, who was relaxing with friends.

At the Invasion Day rally, calls to change the date of Australia Day resonated with many attendees. Carolyn Lunt said Australians should consult Indigenous communities on an appropriate day. Quandamooka man Derrick Hilton suggested a multicultural day as a replacement, while Katarina De Napoli said, “Abolish the date. Get rid of it.”

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley defended Australia Day, calling it a time for national pride. “The problem with those activists is they are so fixated with projecting themselves as survivors that they leave no room for us to come together as citizens,” she said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese avoided addressing the controversy surrounding the date during a citizenship ceremony in Canberra. “Today, we celebrate everything that brings Australia together and everything that sets our nation apart from the world,” he said, highlighting the privilege of sharing the land with the world’s oldest continuous culture.