Thousands protest, others celebrate on divisive Australia Day holiday

Agencies | Sydney

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

While thousands protested in cities across the country, others celebrated on Tuesday to mark Australia's divisive national day.

Australia Day on January 26 has been a national public holiday since 1994, marking the day a fleet of British ships arrived to colonize the island in 1788.

Many Aboriginal people, whose culture dates back 60,000 years, see the day as one of mourning - both for their land that was stolen and for their ancestors who were killed by British sailors and the diseases they brought.

In Sydney, some 3,000 people gathered at an "Invasion Day" rally despite police earlier threatening to make mass arrests if crowds exceeded the 500-person limit in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Police later said they made four arrests, according to AAP news agency, Deutsche press agency (dpa)  reported.

In Melbourne, protesters split into groups of 100 to march through the city, due to limits imposed by the state government on gatherings.

Rallies were held in all other state capitals and some regional cities.

Many speakers were angry about problems facing the country's Indigenous people such as a high rate of incarceration, lower life expectancy and racist attitudes within society.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is seen as conservative and nationalistic, said the holiday should continue to be held on January 26, and praised Australia's handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the last year.

"We do it on this day when the course of this land changed forever," he said in Canberra.

"There is no escaping or cancelling that fact, for better or worse."

He was referencing a public campaign to change the date of the holiday to one less painful for Aboriginal people.

An Ipsos poll for Nine News found only 28 per cent of 1,222 people surveyed nationally were in favour of shifting the date, while 48 per cent were opposed and a further quarter neither agreed or disagreed.

Some high-profile Aboriginal activists have argued that abolishing the day altogether would be more appropriate.

Sexual assault survivor and advocate Grace Tame, who helped change a law that prevented victims of sexual assault from speaking out about their experiences, was named Australian of the Year at a ceremony on Monday night.

In a speech, Tame said she thought the date should be changed.

For the first time, the top four honours on the night were all awarded to women.

Many annual events were cancelled due to the pandemic and people around the country headed to beaches, pools and shady parks to cool off from the intense summer heat.