Written by Melanie Burton
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Two historic statues were damaged in Melbourne ahead of Australia Day celebrations on Sunday, with tens of thousands of people across the country joining protests in support of indigenous groups who say the date is not appropriate to celebrate.
A statue of colonizer John Bateman, the founder of the country's second-largest city who participated in the killing of indigenous people, was sawn in half, while a memorial commemorating Australian soldiers in World War I was painted with red paint and the words “Back to the Land,” according to police reports and media outlets. Local media.
National Australia Day on January 26 is a morning date for many Indigenous Australians because it marks the day Captain James Cook landed in Sydney Bay and the beginning of British colonization of the country.
The demonstrators also carried Palestinian flags, and speakers spoke about the similarities between the experiences of indigenous people and Palestinians.
“Invasion Day. It's just about the survival of our people. We're still here. We're not going anywhere. You know, you can try to accommodate all you want, but we're still here,” Indigenous Australian Amanda Hill said.
In Sydney, Wiradjuri-Biripi artist James P. Simon's artwork was displayed on the Sails of the Opera House (NASDAQ:) in one of many Reflecting Dawn events across the country.
Police estimated that 15,000 people participated in protests and music events in Sydney throughout the day.
In Melbourne's central business district, police estimated that about 25,000 people took to the streets.
Speakers at the protests spoke about issues important to Indigenous Australians, including large numbers of Indigenous deaths in police custody, missing and murdered Indigenous women, land rights, and the push for a treaty to support Indigenous people.
Efforts by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to establish a constitutional Indigenous voice in Parliament have been defeated in a 2023 referendum.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said in a social media post that Australians “should not be afraid to celebrate” their country on Australia Day.
Dutton said the country should unite under one flag, and he would remove Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from government press conferences if he became prime minister in the election, which must be held by mid-May.
