OREANDA-NEWS. Across Australia on Tuesday, January 26, thousands of people protested against the national holiday of the Australian Union, which is celebrated in honor of the arrival on this day in 1788 of the British, who colonized the continent. Protesters in many cities called for the cancellation of the celebration of Australia Day. In their opinion, this celebrates the invasion of Europeans on the land of indigenous Australians, whose ancestors lived on this land for about 60 thousand years.

In particular, the rally in Sydney's central park was attended by about 3 thousand people, despite the warnings of the police, who reminded about the ban on gatherings of more than 500 people. According to the police, several demonstrators were detained.

In Melbourne, protesters split into groups of about 100 people and held small demonstrations around the city. In Brisbane, more than 2,000 people took to the streets to march in solidarity in the city's business district. Other actions were held in the Australian capital Canberra and the administrative centers of the states.

In Australia, there have long been calls to move the day of the national holiday to another date. Critics emphasize that January 26 is a day of mourning for the country's indigenous people. Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison is in favour of keeping the date of Australia Day celebrations.