Thousands march demanding change to Australia Day, citing aboriginal injustices

Thousands of people turned out in cities across Australia on Thursday, the country’s national day, to protest a date that they say celebrates European invasion and the ongoing persecution of Aboriginal people.

Large gatherings formed in Sydney and Melbourne - with the red, yellow and black Aboriginal flag prominent - to mark a day that has become increasingly divisive in recent years, with many now referring to it as “Invasion Day”.

Australia Day, which falls on January 26 each year, marks the arrival of the First Fleet, the flotilla of 11 ships that arrived in Sydney’s Botany Bay from England to establish a penal colony that became the first permanent European settlement on the Australian continent.

Protesters have called for the date to be changed to make it more inclusive, and to recognise the historical persecution of Australia’s indigenous population as well as their ongoing struggles.

Ian Macfarlane, a former minister in Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull’s government who retired from politics last year, became a rare conservative voice to call for the date to be changed.