Invasion Day

Invasion Day, observed annually on January 26th, marks the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships in Sydney Harbour in 1788. While many Australians celebrate this date as Australia Day, Indigenous Australians and their supporters view it as Invasion Day, a day of mourning and protest against the ongoing impacts of colonization. The day is newsworthy due to ongoing debates about its significance and calls to change the date of Australia Day. Recent events include large-scale protests across Australia, with thousands rallying in support of Indigenous rights. In Perth, an explosive device was allegedly thrown at an Invasion Day protest, prompting a police investigation potentially as a 'terrorist' incident. Simultaneously, anti-immigration rallies took place, with one man charged in Sydney for allegedly making comments aligned with neo-Nazi ideology. In Sydney, protest restrictions were extended but narrowed to allow the Invasion Day march to proceed. The events highlight the deep divisions within Australian society regarding its history and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous recognition and rights.