Aboriginal activists declared Australia didn’t deserve a day of celebration and hoped the country ‘burns to the ground’ at a Melbourne rally.
Tens of thousands flooded Spring Street and Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD to protest against ‘Invasion Day’, carrying placards and shouting slogans.
They then marched down Bourke Street chanting ‘always was, always will be Aboriginal land’, ‘no pride in genocide’ and ‘our land, our law’.
Aboriginal activists declared Australia didn’t deserve a day of celebration and hoped the country ‘burns to the ground’ at a Melbourne rally
Tens of thousands flooded Spring Street and Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD to protest against ‘Invasion Day’, carrying placards and shouting slogans
Tarneen Onus-Williams told the assembled crowd ‘f*** Australia, hope it burns to the ground’ during one of many speeches, according to the Herald Sun.
The Koorie Youth Council executive earlier accused broadcaster Neil Mitchell of being a racist during an awkward interview on live radio.
Elder Tony Birch said Australia was ‘not mature enough’ to celebrate itself – even if the date was moved from January 26.
‘This country does not deserve a day of national celebration in any capacity,’ he said.
Hundreds of police looked out over the protest, ready to suppress any violent clashes between protesters and far-right activists.
Protesters waving indigenous flags, some wearing face paint and holding placards with ‘Change the date’ messages, marched on the Victorian Parliament.
Tarneen Onus-Williams (pictured) told the assembled crowd ‘f*** Australia, hope it burns to the ground’ during one of many speeches
In Sydney a large group including former Sydney Swans stars Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin gathered at inner-city Redfern’s The Block and marched to nearby Victoria Park.
Organiser Ken Canning from Fighting In Resistance Equally hoped the Sydney Invasion Day rally would draw attention to indigenous deaths in custody.
He was grateful for the support of non-Aboriginal Australians and hoped to engage with the general public through the march.
‘Our political spectrum around the country, except for maybe the Greens party… ignore the calls of Aboriginal people,’ he said.
Protesters waving indigenous flags, some wearing face paint and holding placards with ‘Change the date’ messages, marched on the Victorian Parliament
They then marched down Bourke Street chanting ‘always was, always will be Aboriginal land’, ‘no pride in genocide’ and ‘our land, our law’
Elsewhere in Melbourne, a handful of right-wing activists including high-profile demonstrator Neil Erikson was protesting outside a citizenship ceremony.
The six men wearing flags and handing out flyers to new migrants were barred from entering the ceremony at Coburg town hall in Melbourne’s north on Friday.
Mr Erikson said the men were protesting the council’s decision to remove the phrase ‘Australia Day’ from the official citizenship ceremony.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull used his Australia Day address to state the impact of European settlement on Aboriginal Australians had been ‘tragic’.
But he praised the nation’s history as ‘an overwhelmingly bright story’ and said ‘not many’ Australians were in favouring of changing the date of Australia Day.
‘It’s a great day and a day we celebrate this remarkable nation of ours,’ Mr Turnbull said.
‘The overwhelming majority of Australians are celebrating Australia Day like we are here today.
‘There were many wrongs done in the past which we seek to close today, we seek to close the gap.’
Governor-General Peter Cosgrove urged Australians to embrace the day and celebrate the history and culture of indigenous people as well as the contributions of generations of migrants.