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Thousands Of People In Australia Protested The Oppression Of Indigenous People On “Invasion Day”

Protesters are calling for the holiday to be abolished and to rename January 26 as "Invasion Day".

Thousands of people across Australia took part in demonstrations around the country on Thursday to protest the country’s national day.

girl with justice sign australia invasion day protest 2023
Protesters march from Parliament House to Flinder’s Street Station in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Australia Day, which falls on January 26, marks the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships in the Australia in 1788.

woman protester with kid australia invasion day protest 2023
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 26 (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Many see the date as the beginning of a long history of colonization and oppression of Indigenous Australians, who have occupied Australia for at least 65,000 years.

only wankers celebrate genocide australia invasion day protest 2023
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 26 (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Historians estimate tens of thousands of Indigenous Australians were killed after European settlers arrived, according to the BBC.

abolish australia day australia invasion day protest 2023
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 26 (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Protesters are calling for the holiday to be abolished and to rename January 26 as “Invasion Day”.

change the date australia invasion day protest 2023
Many indigenous Australians refer to the day as ‘Invasion Day’ and there is a growing movement to change the date to one which can be celebrated by all Australians. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

“Let us all recognize the unique privilege that we have to share this continent with the world’s oldest continuous culture,” Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese said at a flag-raising and citizenship ceremony in the capital, Canberra.

australia invasion day protest 2023
Protesters participate in an Invasion Day protest at Belmore Park on January 26, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Calling it a “difficult day” for Indigenous Australians, Albanese said however, his government does not have a plan to move the holiday to another day.

girl with justice sign australia invasion day protest 2023
Protesters participate in the Treaty Before Voice Invasion Day Protest outside Parliament House on January 26, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

This year’s protests come as Albanese’s government plans to hold a referendum later this year on recognizing Indigenous people in Australia’s constitution, which currently does not refer to them.

girl with justice sign australia invasion day protest 2023
People participate in an âInvasion Dayâ protest in Sydney, Australia. Thousands of protesters have descended on city streets in solidarity with Indigenous Australians to commemorate Invasion Day. (Photo by Steven Saphore/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

If passed, it would require consultations with Indigenous people on decisions that affect their lives, according to Reuters.

australia invasion day protest 2023
Photo by Steven Saphore/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A referendum is required to amend Australia’s constitution, which came into effect in January 1901.

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