To some, today marks an annual celebration of the country they live in. But to many Indigenous Australians, January 26 is a day to mourn an attempted genocide, and is commonly known as ‘Invasion Day’ or ‘Survival Day’.
Protest marches were held all over the country today, and PEDESTRIAN.TV attended the march in Sydney.
Moving from The Block in Redfern, through to Town Hall, the people power and passion was mind-blowing and stirring. Over 3000 people attended, all chanting through the streets, ‘Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land’ and ‘What do we want? Sovereignty. What do we have? Fuck all!’
At one point, protestors gathered in the middle of a busy intersection, shutting down rows of traffic on George St:
“this March stops for no fucking traffic, don’t let them break us up!” #InvasionDay #sydney pic.twitter.com/3pBxvOC3nW
— CS-2187 (@chlosarge) January 26, 2016
At Town Hall, protestors were able to listen to speeches and lived experiences from Aboriginal rights activists, as well as ally and journalist John Pilger.
“our spirits belong to this land!” #invasionday #sydney pic.twitter.com/HwbyCI04ZS
— CS-2187 (@chlosarge) January 26, 2016
Images from the Melbourne and Brisbane are also circulating on social media, with people acknowledging that the land we stand on belongs to First Nations people, and mourning for atrocities in the past and present:
btw 2000-3000 (poss more) @ #Melbourne #InvasionDay. Take over CBD #InvasionDay2016 #Australia #AustraliaDay #auspol pic.twitter.com/h29qbtu0rG
— Kim Bullimore (@rafiqa65) January 26, 2016
A spirited #InvasionDay rally has temporarily stopped traffic in #Brisbane @ABCNewsBrisbane pic.twitter.com/n7nGxqZ7n2
— Siobhan Heanue (@siobhanheanue) January 26, 2016
#Melbourne #SelfDetermination #Rally #InvasionDay #AustraliaDay – A day of sorrow and solidarity. #Victoria #Love !! pic.twitter.com/bmQK7wBPdO
— Dave Fidel (@DaveFidel) January 26, 2016
Jan 26th Lest We Forget #InvasionDay
#AustraliaDay change the name! #auspol pic.twitter.com/Mnej3E08HQ
— ChaoticGood1stAidKit (@akaCoggo) January 26, 2016
Photos: Chloe Sargeant.
More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV
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‘They’re Still Killing Us’: Powerful Footage From Invasion Day Protests Across Unceded Land
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All The 2023 Invasion Day Events You Can Attend In Solidarity With First Nations Folk On Jan 26
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5 Arrests Were Made At Sydney’s Invasion Day Protest But Police Say Most Were ‘Well Behaved’
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All The 2021 Invasion Day Rallies You Can March In Solidarity With First Nations Folk On Jan 26
