‘We are treated like scum’: Tens of thousands protest across the country
TENS of thousands have turned out for Invasion Day protests across the country, supporting a collective cry to “change the date”.
A MELBOURNE “Invasion Day” rally organiser today told a massive crowd of protesters: “F*** Australia, hope it burns to the ground.”
Tarneen Onus-Williams was speaking to thousands of people gathered in Spring Street early this afternoon when she made the controversial remarks.
She also told the crowd she wanted Australia Day abolished instead of the date being changed.
Whether or not the national day should continue to be celebrated on January 26 has become the subject of hot debate in recent years.
To some, it’s known as Australia Day. A time to sink beers, take part in thong throwing competitions, release one’s inner bogan and celebrate the nation in which we live.
To others, it’s “Invasion Day”. A date that marks the arrival of the first fleet in 1788 and the forced removal of thousands of indigenous Australians from their families and massacres that ensued.
But today the growing momentum to “change the date” has never been more apparent as huge crowds swell in capital cities across the country.
Tens of thousands of protesters have turned out for the marches in Sydney, Melbourne and beyond, in what appears to be the biggest show of support for the movement seen to date.
Organisers of the Redfern Invasion Day rally said crowds had grown from just 300 in 2015 to thousands today. But it seems not all protesters are on the same page, with some marchers’ collective cries to “make a date we can all celebrate” coming as others assert there will “never be a right date” under the current system of government.
Gavin Stanbrook from Gumbaynggirr country spoke on behalf of the Walker family, of the Bowraville three, at the Invasion Day rally in The Block, Redfern.
“There is no date that can be an alternative as a day of national unity,” he said. “Aboriginal people have been ripped off and treated like scum and we will protest until we get our land back.”
Among the banners carried above the seas of protesters: “What’s your problem? #changethedate”, “Survival Day” and “Invasion Day is nothing to celebrate.”
Organiser Ken Canning, from Fighting In Resistance Equally, said he hoped the Invasion Day rally would draw attention to indigenous deaths in custody and was grateful for the support of non-Aboriginal Australians.
“The idea here is to engage the general public because our political spectrum around the country, except for maybe the Greens party ... ignore the calls of Aboriginal people,” he said ahead of the march.
In Redfern, Maritime Union of Australia Sydney branch secretary Paul McAleer said, “we don’t share this country equally.
“We never have, we never will without a change to the system, not a change of date.”
Greens MP David Shoebridge was scathing of the current system. “Having the National day on this day is grossly disrespectful to our first peoples, of course we should change the date to right historic wrongs,” he said.
“But those historic workings continue today.
“Aboriginal people are the most imprisoned on the planet, that’s not in the past, that’s 2018. “The bigger struggle is we need to change this country.”
Huge crowds began gathering outside the Victorian Parliament on Friday morning.
Organisers of the Invasion Day rally in Melbourne said they were not campaigning to change the date but that they want Australia Day to be abolished, the Herald Sun reported.
Elder Tony Birch said the country was “not mature enough” to celebrate on any day, not just January 26.
“This country does not deserve a day of national celebration in any capacity,” he said.
Thousands turn out in support of Invasion Day rally in Melbourne #auspol @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/ffC7QgHuNo
— Alex White (@alexwhitelive) January 26, 2018
Thousands of people converged on the intersection of Spring St and Collins St to protest against Australia Day, with a heavy police presence on standby in case of violent clashes.
Flowers and artwork were stacked at the steps, alongside signs reading “pay the rent” and a giant cardboard coffin daubed with “colonisation”. After the rally set off to weave its way through the city, a handful of right- wing protesters arrived at the steps wearing Australian flags, but left without incident.
Marchers loudly chanted “always was, always will be Aboriginal land” before marching down Bourke St.
But it’s not just major cities that have seen large crowds turn out for the Invasion Day marches or call for a change of date.
Several hundred people have gathered on the steps of Parliament House in Adelaide, calling for the date of Australia Day to be changed. Aboriginal elder Tauto Sansbury told the crowd that recognising the hurt caused by celebrating on the day the first fleet arrived must be the start of a wider conversation.
“People have said there’s other issues to deal with, well no there’s not,” he said.
“This is the first one that breaks down the barriers. Then we can move onto all of the other things that are not right for Aboriginal people.”
Senator Di Natale said there should be a conversation about choosing a new date. “We need to have a process to acknowledge why January 26 is not that day and to come together as a nation to talk about our history, to understand it more, to finally heal and then to come together,” he told reporters.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he recognised that many people staunchly oppose the date of Australia Day but that most people celebrated the occasion.
“You know, the overwhelming majority of Australians are celebrating Australia Day like we all are here today,” Mr Turnbull told reporters in Canberra on Friday.
“They are just in love with our nation, with our story, with our people, with our success — the most successful multicultural society in the world.”
Welcoming a swag of migrants as Australian citizens on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin, Mr Turnbull said the nation was united in its diversity.
He said Australia Day was a chance to celebrate the country as a land of opportunity, while recognising and celebrating the vital role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in shaping the country.
“We honour their resilience and survival, respect and cherish their continuing contribution to our nation. It’s a heritage of which we are proud and which we celebrate, it’s uniquely Australian,” he said.
“We haven’t always recognised this truth as we should’ve done, but all of us, including our newest citizens, are heirs to this history, and it’s our duty to learn, embrace, and help preserve it.”
Among the new migrants was Anna Nursalim, originally from Indonesia, who became an Australian citizen along with her three children.
“Since it’s very special day, we’re thinking to have the Australian way, by having a Vegemite toast,” she said.
Almost 13,000 people from 129 different nationalities will become Australian citizens in ceremonies across the country on Friday.
Not all Aboriginal Australians are boycotting celebrations, with indigenous performers including the Koomurri Aboriginal Dancers and the KARI Singers opening Friday’s festivities in Sydney.
The harbour will be the focus of celebrations, including ferry races, an aquatic ballet and evening fireworks.
Cockroach races in Queensland and native animal cook ups in the Northern Territory have become Australia Day staples, while hundreds of thousands of others will flock to various public events across all capital cities.
— With AAP
megan.palin@news.com.au | @Megan_Palin
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