Statues vandalized as Australians protest, celebrate national day By Reuters

Written by Melanie Burton

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Two historic monuments were vandalized in Melbourne ahead of Australia Day celebrations on Sunday, with tens of thousands of people across the country joining protests in support of Aboriginal groups who say the day should not be forgotten. be happy

A statue of colonist John Batman, founder of the country’s second largest city and complicit in the genocide, was cut into the monument, while a memorial to Australian soldiers in the First World War of the Earth is covered with red paint and words. “land back”, according to police reports and local news.

Australia’s national day on January 26 is a morning day for many Indigenous Australians because it is the day that Captain James Cook arrived at Sydney Cove and the beginning of the colonization of the country by the British.

Protesters also carried Palestinian flags, and speakers spoke of the parallels between the Aboriginal and Palestinian experiences.

“The day of the attack. It’s just the survival of our people. We’re still here. We’re not going anywhere. As you know, you can try to do all you want, but we’re still here you go,” Native Australian Amanda. Hill said.

In Sydney, a painting by Wiradjuri-Biripi artist James P. Simon was unveiled on the canvas of the Opera (NASDAQ:) House in one of the many dawn meditation events around the country.

Police estimate that 15,000 people took part in the protests and music in Sydney throughout the day.

In Melbourne’s central business district, police estimated that around 25,000 people took to the streets.

Speakers at the protest spoke about issues of importance to Aboriginal Australians, including the high number of Aboriginal people killed in police custody, missing and murdered Aboriginal women, land rights, and the treaty-making process. of supporting the Indian people.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s attempt to establish a constitutional voice for Aboriginal people in parliament was soundly defeated in the 2023 referendum.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said in a social media post that Australians “shouldn’t be afraid to celebrate” their country on Australia Day.

Dutton said the country must unite under one flag, and that he would remove the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from government press conferences if he became prime minister in the election due in mid-May.