NO TO COLONIAL RULE IN AUSTRALIA

Every 26 January marks 'Australia Day,' commemorating the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the first fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, now Sydney. It is a national public holiday, often celebrated with festivals and fireworks.

However, for Aboriginal Australians, it is a day of mourning. They refer to it as 'Invasion Day' because it kicked off European colonisation in what is now called Australia. Indigenous peoples were dispossessed of land and culture, and many other injustices were perpetrated against them in the European quest to conquer the whole island.

As in most years, protesters took to the streets on 26 January, demanding an end to settler-colonialism. This year's protests came on the heels of a failed 14 October referendum that would have created a way for Aboriginal peoples to play a role in Parliament.

Many Aboriginal Australians refer themselves as Black, a way to reclaim their identity in the face of historical injustices.