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    Thousands attend Invasion Day rallies across Australia
    Australia

    Thousands attend Invasion Day rallies across Australia

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    21 Comments

    3. Snake5872 on

      Like I assume most Aussies feel, doesn’t bother me one bit if the date was changed, however I have a feeling many of these people would still protest on whatever new date is picked.

    4. Radey0o on

      How about we trade? Taxpayers will change the date but only if they lose there “Super Race” benefits lol.

    5. COMMANDEREDH on

      If the date was ever changed, these people would still protest.

      They don’t hate the date, they hate how unfair and brutal the creation of Australia was to the indigenous people. I sympathize with their suffering…but I also love and am proud of Australia.

    6. Appropriate-Strike88 on

      Why don’t they officially declare it as a day of mourning for First Nations people in Australia? Seems like a logical and empathetic step for the government to take. 

    7. cassiacow on

      I was at the Melbourne rally, was a huge turnout. “Thousands” is probably understating it – it would be at least in the high tens of thousands, but felt like over 100k. 

      Some people are saying that the protests wouldn’t stop if the date was changed and they’re only half right – Aboriginal people have gathered on the 26th of January since 1938 to protest and hold a day of mourning – long before the Australia Day public holiday. I’d expect that to continue if the date was changed, rather than the new day be protested. It was an irresponsible decision to put the holiday on that date in the first place. 

    9. Superest22 on

      And there were/are thousands at the beaches or poolside and having a barbie despite the hot weather.

      There will be many more that are just at home relaxing with their loved ones.

      However you spend today, we are all lucky to be in a country that allows us to spend it how we feel and that in itself is something.

      We are genuinely incredibly lucky for being Australian.

    10. iball1984 on

      I think we should move the Australia Day Public Holiday to simply be the last Monday in January.

      A public holiday to mark the end of the summer holiday period is a good thing. And what’s more Australian than a long weekend?

      There will always be those that protest, but there is a valid point about the 26th. So a bit of compromise would be good IMO. I don’t want our national day to be controversial.

      Most of the other dates are problematic for other reasons in my view. I’m not sure having a national day that basically celebrates the passing of some legislation in a foreign parliament is particularly good.

    11. Zestyclose-Spread348 on

      I would like to change the date and to show pride in our nation. Make a new day as the current date is tarnished.

    12. OhtheHugeManity7 on

      Power to anyone that could march in today’s heat, I was thinking about checking it out but haven’t managed to drag myself off of the floor under the fan

    13. Screambloodyleprosy on

      There was one chance to change the date, and it went out the window when it was proposed May 8.

      Look at the weather today. Absolute fucking banger of a day. Let’s trade a long weekend in summer for a long weekend in autumn, etc.

    14. chriskicks on

      It will offend no one to just pick a different date. Why would any rational Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person be ok with celebrating the day a fleet of white people arrived and ruined their ancestors lives? It’s weird. Just change it.

    17. SecOperative on

      Serious question and trying not to offend anyone, but, what do the invasion day protesters want exactly? Is it a change of date? Is it for all non-indigenous people to pack up and leave Australia? Or is it less of a protest and more about awareness raising of past events?

    19. AILovable on

      It appears from the article that Melbourne and Adelaide were the only cities with “thousands”. Others are either “hundreds” or don’t have figures given. We always call out “clickbait” and other misleading titles. I think it’s fair to do so in every case.