Pro-Palestinian Protesters to Show Up at ‘Invasion Day’ Rallies

Protestors chant and wave the Palestinian flag at a Pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 10, 2023. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Many Australians may be surprised to see some new faces at this year’s “Invasion Day” rallies, as some pro-Palestinian groups said they would show up to support the Indigenous community while advancing their own agenda.

The Blak Caucus–a First Nations advocacy group–will hold an “Invasion Day” rally at Belmore Park, Sydney, on the morning of Jan. 26, with the participation of pro-Palestinian protesters.

The rally calls for the abolishment of Australia Day as well as “justice” for the Indigenous community.

According to the event page on social media, the organisers raised a list of nine demands, including ending “the war on black kids,” stopping “black deaths in custody,” and ending “housing and healthcare discrimination” against Indigenous people.

They also urged the federal and New South Wales (NSW) governments to cut ties with and impose sanctions on “colonial, apartheid Israel.”

The Palestine Action Group Sydney called on Palestinian supporters in NSW to attend the event.

“Invasion Day is coming up on Jan. 26, and we urge all supporters of Palestine to get to the protest to stand up to racism and fight for Indigenous liberation in this country,” the pro-Palestinian group said on social media.

So far, around 1,800 people have responded to the event.

Australia Day, observed annually on Jan. 26, is the country’s national public holiday and commemorates the arrival of Captain Arthur Phillip’s First Fleet in 1788.

While the majority of Australians support Australia Day, there has been a rising movement among some advocacy groups and members of the public labelling it “Invasion Day,” leading to calls for a boycott.

Other Events

The “Invasion Day” rally is not the only event organised by Indigenous advocacy groups and pro-Palestinian protesters in Sydney on Jan. 26.

The Blak Caucus and Palestine Justice Movement Sydney have jointly organised an event called “Palestinian Contingent to the Invasion Day Rally,” which also takes place at Belmore Park.

The organisers believed there were similarities between the Palestinians and Indigenous people in Australia and that the two communities should support each other in promoting their causes.

“From Gadigal to Gaza: Colonisation, occupation and land theft is a crime. Our collective liberations are intrinsically linked,” the information page of the event read.

“United in the struggle against colonisation, the Palestinian community shall continue to show support and solidarity to the First Nations and their lands and waters.

“As they demand a complete and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza and the decolonisation of historical Palestine, the Palestinian community joins First Nations in demanding the abolishing of what is called Australia Day and the continuing war by the Australian state against the First Nations peoples and lands.”

Over 100 people responded to the event, with 78 stating they would attend it.

Protesters march during an "Invasion Day" protest in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 26, 2023. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Apart from the two events above, some Aboriginal activists and Indigenous leaders have stated that they would invite pro-Palestinian protesters to speak at their events on Jan. 26.

Left-leaning Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe said Palestine would be part of the protests against Australia Day this year.

“Palestinians know what the trauma of invasion, of dispossession, state violence and occupation is like just as First Peoples in this country do,” she told The Australian newspaper.

“This year, on Invasion Day, I'll be inviting people to join me in extending our solidarity to the people of Palestine–to the innocent people struggling under brutal Israeli government violence in Gaza and the West Bank.

Experts Say There Are Little Similarities Between Palestinians and Indigenous People

Despite the claims of some pro-Palestinian protesters, Melbourne University professor Marcia Langton and former Liberal politician Nyunggai Warren Mundine believed there were little to no similarities between Palestinians and First Nations people.

While acknowledging that the deaths caused by the conflicts between Israel and Palestine were tragic, Mr. Mundine pointed out that Jews had lived in Israel long before 1948.

“War is a bastard,” he said in comments obtained by AAP.

Some other Indigenous leaders also raised concerns that linking the issues of Indigenous justice with the pro-Palestinian movement would risk alienating the Jewish community who had been supporting the Aboriginals and their causes.