In Pictures: ANU Staff and Students Join Invasion Day Protest

By Helena Burke
Photography by Konstantinos Katsanis

ANU staff and students joined a crowd of approximately 1,000 people today to protest the government’s resistance to change the date of Australia Day. The ANU Contingent, alongside the rest of the protesters, gathered at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in the morning before ascending to Parliament House.

ANU staff and students were heard chanting slogans such as “always was, always will be, Aboriginal land” and “sovereignty never ceded”. The ANU Contingent, which was led by the ANUSA Indigenous Department, described 26 January as “a day which marks the beginning of genocide against First Nations Peoples”.

ANUSA and PARSA have come out in support of the Change The Date campaign, pronouncing 26 January as a “day of mourning” and urging students to “stop and check yourself” before celebrating today. ANUSA emphasised the importance of taking “active steps” to decolonising attitudes, suggesting students consider supporting local Indigenous businesses and organisations, donating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander charities, and engaging with books and podcasts regarding the topic.

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