Australia Day protests live updates: Perth Invasion Day protest evacuated amid ‘explosion’ reports

WA Police have released a statement confirming the situation in Perth’s CBD.

The statement reads:

“WA Police have confirmed there has been reports of a threat and a man is in custody

Significant police resources have been deployed to the area, and an exclusion zone has been established.

Members of the public are asked to stay away from the area and await further advice.

Police said the person in custody is assisting with their inquiries.”

Hundreds of demonstrators are being evacuated from Perth’s CBD amid concerns there could be an explosion after reports of an object being thrown into a crowded Forrest Place.

The West Australian reporter Jessica Evensen is on the scene and says police are using megaphones to urge people who had gathered for an Invasion Day rally, protesting against the celebration of Australia Day on January 26, to immediately disperse.

“There is something in the crowd that poses a risk to your safety,” the officers are saying.

They’re also telling the crowd “this is not a drill”.

We’ll bring you more on this breaking story as it unfolds.

Protester numbers are starting to swell in the Perth CBD as the planned Invasion Day and March for Australia rallies kick off.

The two are one street away from each other in the city centre.

We’ll bring you all the latest from the scene of both protests.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson received a thunderous welcome from the crowd at the Australia Marches rally in Brisbane.

Newswire reports the senator rejected climate change concerns, praised Australia’s mining and manufacturing sectors, and said she had spent her political career “calling this country back together”.

“I have taken so much pride in my country… all I’ve ever done my whole political life is call this country back together,” she said.

She warned against proposed hate speech laws, arguing they could be used to silence minor parties and restrict debate on immigration and multiculturalism.

“We can never give up our freedom of speech… I will not let them stop me. I will keep going,” she said.

Ms Hanson told supporters her role was to “fight for you” and accused other politicians of failing to represent everyday Australians.

Turning her fire on the Prime Minister, she blamed Mr Albanese for mass migration, and labelled him “the worst prime minister I have ever seen”.

She urged the crowd to back One Nation at the next federal election, saying she wanted more seats in parliament so she could “take it up to them”, scrutinise government spending, and push to revive manufacturing while winding back climate policies.

Ms Hanson ended her speech by calling for unity, telling supporters Australia belonged to everyone who chose it as home, provided they embraced Australian values.

In Melbourne, a monument near Parliament House was defaced with chalk earlier today.

The statue was erected to honour Adam Lindsay Gordon, a poet and MP from the mid-1850s.

The chalk featured the words “Abolish Australia” on one side, with “Aboriginal Land” and the outline of an Aboriginal flag on other sides.

It also featured a label pointing to the statue of Gordon, calling him a “cop nepo baby”.

Hello and welcome to The Nightly’s coverage of the Australia Day protests across the country.

Heavily-armed police have turned out in force as competing Invasion Day and March for Australia rallies kick off around the country.

In Brisbane, the Australian flag was burned during the Invasion Day rally at Queens Gardens.

Stay tuned with us throughout the arvo as we bring you all the latest news as it happens.