Australia Day protests: Invasion Day protesters take to streets across nation, police ramp up presence

WARNING: This content contains an image of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who has died.

Thousands of people are taking to capital city streets amid a heavy police presence, as Invasion Day marches and March for Australia rallies are held.

Banners emblazoned with “G’day mate, fck your date”, “always was always will be”, “National day of mourning January 26”, “no room for racism on stolen land”, and “great stolen land” were seen in Sydney as the Invasion Day rally kicked off.

And at the March for Australia rally in Sydney, people held signs pushing for Pauline Hanson to become Prime Minister and claiming Anthony Albanese “sold out Australia”.

Separately, in Melbourne, a momument to politician and poet Adam Lindsay Gordon was vandalised and an Australia flag was burned in Brisbane.

‘Abolish Australia’: Monument defaced in chalk

Up from Parliament House, a monument to politician and poet Adam Lindsay Gordon has been scribbled on in chalk.

“Abolish Australia,” one side reads.

Others read: “Cop nepo baby” and “Aboriginal land”.

‘I will not let them stop me’, Hanson vows

Pauline Hanson took the stage to thunderous applause from supporters at what had the feel of a street party, with music, flags and cheering throughout the crowd. The rally remained peaceful, though there were occasional angry outbursts from attendees about immigration and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Addressing the crowd, Ms Hanson 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.

“All I’ve ever done is call for equality for all Australians. Pull us together — whether you’re born here or you’ve migrated,” she said.

Speaker system problems hamper Melbourne’s March

March for Australia organiser Hugo Lennon has delivered a five minute speech using a megaphone as the speaker system is still not working.

He has said the protest is reclaiming Australia Day and a new wave of nationalism has arrived in the country.

“Today we showed them there is still hope in this country,” he said.

“We will not be bullied out of loving our country.”

A small group attempted to get chants of “Heil Hugo”, “Helly Hansen” and “Free Joel Davis” going to minor buy-in from the crowd.

A few other speakers are being drowned out by chatter from the crowd.

The megaphone volume is unable to cut through.

A woman was overheard saying: “They couldn’t make us look more disorganised if they tried”.

March for Australia protesters at Parliament House have begun to leave, 30 minutes after arriving.

‘Get f--ked’: Message for ‘Down Under’ musician

March for Australia rally organiser Bec Freedom has told former Men at Work frontman Colin Hay to “get f--ked mate” after the Scottish-born musician slammed the use of his song at previous rallies.

He signed off his statement, posted to Facebook, last week, with “Colin Hay (immigrant).

“Let me say that I most strenuously disapprove of any unauthorised, unlicensed use of Down Under, for any ‘March For Australia’ events,” the musician said.

“Down Under, a song I co-wrote, does not belong to those who attempt to sow xenophobia within the fabric of our great land, our great people.

“Down Under is ultimately a song of celebration. It’s for pluralism and inclusion; unity, not division.”

The rally organiser played the first few seconds of the song before dedicating a message to Mr Hay: “Get f--ked mate.”

The March for Australia rally was held on January 26 in Sydney

Protesters were armed with signs ranging from “Pauline 4 PM”, “Albanese sold out Australia”, “Deport hate preachers”, “No net zero”, and “Stop importing voters”.

Chants of “Aussie Aussie Aussie, oi oi oi” rang out, with police watching on as The Angels, Australian Crawl and Midnight Oil blared through the park.

Protesters chanted “send them back” while marching to Moore Park, where a group of speakers, including an open mic section, is slated to begin.

Police flank March for Australia in Melbourne

A smaller but still significant number of people marching in the March for Australia protest has left Flinders St station.

Chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi,oi, oi” and “Albo’s a w--ker” have been heard.

Others are draped in Australian flags and the Australian Red Ensign

The Angles 1977 song Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again is being sung as the group heads to Flagstaff Gardens.

The march has been mentioned by a significant police presence at intersections.

On Elizabeth St, some members of the public have yelled taunts including; “racists” and “insecure”.

Chants including “foreigners out” and “send them back” have been heard from parts of the crowd on the steps of Parliament.

Greens senator hits out at Hanson

Greens senator Larissa Waters blasted Pauline Hanson, who was preparing her own march nearby at the Botanical Gardens.

“It’s not ok to divide Australians and blow the racist dog whistle, that’s not who Australians are,” Ms Waters said of the alternative rally in Brisbane.

“Pauline Hanson votes with the one per cent. She’s never voted to make housing more affordable, she’s never voted to make groceries more affordable, her votes and her words do not match.”

‘Free Joel Davis’ signs spotted

Multiple “Free Joel Davis” signs have been spotted at the March for Australia rally in Sydney’s Prince Alfred Park.

Mr Davis, a high-ranking member of the now-disbanded National Socialist Network, is accused of encouraging his supporters to “rhetorically rape” federal MP Allegra Spender using a carriage service following her condemnation of a controversial rally outside state parliament where 60 members of the NSN gathered last year.

He has been unsuccessful in three bail applications since his arrest in November.

One man, Spencer, told NewsWire at the rally he hopes to see Mr Davis freed.

“(He’s been) denied bail for what could really only be described as a misdemeanor at most, and it’s just really a miscarriage of justice,” Spencer claimed.

“He doesn’t deserve to be where he is, and we’d like to see him free.”

It is not suggested that Spencer has or had any involvement with the NSN.

‘Very disenguious’: Victorian treaty lashed

Speakers at the Invasion Day rally in Melbourne include Celeste Little, Uncle Robbie Thorpe and professor Gary Foley.

Ms Little, speaking on behalf of the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance, said there was no need to change the date of Australia Day, but for it to become a national day of mourning.

“While multinational companies continue to profit of the land, our people remain the poorest, the sickest, the most incaseratred, the most exploited and the most disenfranchised in this country,” she said to shouts of “shame” from the crowd.

She said the future of Australia was multicultural and multiethnic, not “a false unity and a nationalism steeped in white supremacy”.

Mr Thorpe spoke against the Treaty signed last year between the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and the State of Victoria.

“This is the first Invasion Day since the treaty... I think it’s very disenguious,” he said.

“The state government basically doing its own agreement with its own employees... That’s what it is to me, there’s no rights recognised in that treaty.”

Mr Thorpe said about 1500 people had attended a 5am “Dawn Service” at indigenous protest sight Camp Sovereignty.

Tributes to Cargelligo victims

Aunty Nadena Dixon sang Aboriginal Land, with the crowd joining in and clapping, before Paul Silva took the microphone and paid tribute to those killed in Lake Cargelligo.

Sophia Quinn, 25, and John Harris, 32, were both killed along with their unborn son, Troy, last week, and Ms Quinn’s aunt Nerida.

Julian Ingram, 37, has been on the run since Thursday afternoon.

A minute of silence was held at the rally for those killed.

“They were deeply loved. These people you see here were deeply loved, and they deserve so much better. May our ancestors guide them in their next journey through to the dream time,” Mr Silva said.

Warlpiri elder Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, who has lost two relatives to death in custody, sang a song for the large crowd.

He also claimed the government is not helping Indigenous people.

“They are making our land miserable, really miserable,” he said.

“But nevertheless, we stand firm we and fight.”

‘F--k you’: Message amid Australia Day celebrations

Mr Silva delivered a clear message to those who celebrate Invasion Day.

“For 238 years, they tried to erase us. They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know that we were the seeds of this country,” Mr Silva said.

“So to the nation that celebrates invasion, that builds comfort on graves and calls it, pride, f—k you, f—k you.”

Many of the speakers took the opportunity to decry the number of Indigenous deaths in custody across the country.

NSW coroner Teresa O’Sullivan last year released an open letter condemning the “profoundly distressing” number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who died in custody in NSW as of October last year.

The 12 deaths marked the highest number ever recorded in a single year.

“I send my love and condolences to the families of that terrible attack (at Bondi Beach), but it’s just as important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (are given) the same respect and recognition, especially after all the massacres that we’ve endured, and the deaths in custody that our people face today,” another speaker told the crowd on Monday.

“They put hate speech laws in place to apparently protect the Jewish community from anti-semitism. Where are the laws that can be put in place to protect our people from anti black racism?”

Heavy police presence as Bondi bans extended

Protesters were accompanied with a heavy police presence at Hyde Park in Sydney, with the rally permitted to go ahead despite controversial protest bands brought on in the wake of the alleged Bondi Beach terror attack.

The ban has been extended twice since it was first issued on Christmas Eve.

While the declaration does not strictly prohibit a protest, it strips attendees of protections from criminal offences such as obstructing traffic, which would be granted with a Form 1 application.

Hyde Park was excluded in the most recent extension of the laws, permitting the Invasion Day rally.

It is understood the March for Australia rally’s location at Prince Alfred Park at 12pm, is not included in the exclusion zone.

Public assemblies remain restricted in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and in most part of the CBD.

Strong, visible police presence: police minister

Police in NSW have been authorised to carry long arms following the Bondi Beach terror attack, a spokesperson saying this was “to provide a sense of security to the community, not because of an increased threat risk”.

Acting Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Paul Scully, said: “NSW Police will have a strong, highly visible presence across the state as part of Operation Australia Day to help keep communities safe.

“Following the Bondi Beach terror attack, specialist police will be authorised to carry long-arm weapons at certain events in Sydney. This is about reassurance and protection, not because of any specific threat.

“These are operational decisions made by police based on intelligence and risk assessments, and the NSW Government fully supports them.”

Invasion Day rally organiser Tarneen Onus Browne has renewed calls for a day of mourning on January 26.

Invasion Day community organiser Tarneen Onus Browne says Aboriginal people had been calling for a day of mourning for 88 years.

“Everybody deserves dignity and respect and that First Nations people aren’t getting that at the moment in this country,” she said.

“We’re getting killed by police and by prison guards, our land is being ripped up by billionaires.”

Ms Browne also said protesters were also calling for a national truth telling process.

‘Huge win’: reflection on court case

Ms Browne said the Federal Court victory against police powers to conduct random stop and searches,

The Federal Court decision is a huge win for us. For all of us,” she said.

“Protesters aren’t just subject to those laws, anyone coming into the CBD was subject to these laws which allowed police to search you without a warrant or reason.”

‘Worrying’: call on March for Australia

On the March for Australia protests, also held across the country today, Ms Browne said it was “quite worrying” given recent reporting linking the protest to neo-Nazis.

This country needs to take a good hard look at itself,” she said.

“We’re leaving that to Victoria Police, that’s their job in terms of crowd control.”

Protest organisers have been ‘constructively engaging’ with police

Ahead of two protests planned in Melbourne’s CBD on Monday, police say they’re “well prepared”.

The annual Invasion Day rally is set to kick off at the steps of Parliament from 11am.

In previous years, ralliers have marched through the city to Flinders St Station, where a second protest — March for Australia — is planned for 11am.

Victoria Police say they hold “no intelligence” indicating a heightened risk of violence.

“Police are well prepared for protest activity planned for Monday 26 January in Melbourne,” a police spokeswoman said.

“Victoria Police has been constructively engaging with protest organisers and at this stage has no intelligence to suggest a heightened risk of violence.”

The spokeswoman said police would maintain a highly visible presence in the CBD.

“Victoria Police will not tolerate anyone intent on causing unruly, anti-social behaviour,” she said.

Victoria Police has advised they will not be imposing a Declared Area status on the CBD, giving officers additional powers including random stop and searches.

This comes after the Federal Court found a six-month designation of a large swath of Melbourne was unlawful.

Rally brought forward due to heat

Hundreds of people have gathered at Queens Gardens in Brisbane on Monday morning for the Invasion Day rally, with organisers considering bringing the march forward amid extreme heat.

Temperatures in the city are forecast to reach 38 degrees, prompting safety concerns for attendees as speeches began about 10am. The march had been scheduled to start at midday, but organisers said it may begin earlier due to the conditions.

Supporters began assembling early at the city park, with hundreds present by mid-morning. Some Palestinian supporters were also among the crowd.

The atmosphere at the Brisbane rally has been peaceful, with people of all ages in attendance and chants of “Always was, always will be Aboriginal land” heard between speeches.

More to come