Thousands of Australians are expected to protest on Saturday as a national holiday intended to celebrate the birth of modern Australia divides the country.

Australia Day on Jan. 26 marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the "First Fleet" to Sydney Cove, carrying mainly convicts and troops from Britain. For many indigenous Australians, who trace their lineage on the continent back 60,000 years, it is "Invasion Day", the start of Britain's colonisation of aboriginal lands and their brutal subjugation.

"Celebrating Australia Day on January 26th is offensive," said Joe Williams, a mental health worker and former professional rugby league player.

"To celebrate an invasion which has seen our people dispossessed, displaced and oppressed for some 230 years, is plain offensive," he told Reuters Television.

Australia's 700,000 or so indigenous people track near the bottom of its 25 million citizens in almost every economic and social indicator. While opinion polls suggest up to half the country supports changing Australia Day, the conservative government is under pressure to legally entrench Jan. 26 as a national holiday.

"We should keep the 26th of January as a special day in our calendar," said Nick Folkes, a painter from Sydney.


"It means respect and acknowledgement of the sacrifices made by explorers, settlers, our convicts," he added.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government, which faces a general election due in May, opposes any change and has moved to shore up support for the holiday. This month it ordered local councils to hold induction ceremonies for new citizens on Australia Day and the Australian Citizenship Day holiday on Sept. 17, or have their authorization revoked.


Morrison has also pledged nearly A$7 million ($4.9 million)for a replica of explorer James Cook's HMS Endeavour, the first ship to reach the east coast of Australia in 1770. The replica ship will circumnavigate Australia next year to mark the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook's voyage.


Opposition leader Bill Shorten has criticized Morrison for spending taxpayer's money on a "bizarre Captain Cook fetish," but the prime minister said it will unify Australians.

"I believe it will be a voyage of bringing Australians together," Morrison said in Cairns this month. "I'm keen for it to be done very much in that spirit."
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Protesters hang a #AbolishAustraliaDay banner off Westminster Bridge ahead of #AustraliaDay to show solidarity with Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islander peoples in Australia. #InvasionDay2019 #changethedate #changethenation #7DaysOfResistance #breaking pic.twitter.com/WXnAJcZr4H

— Stefan Simanowitz (@StefSimanowitz) January 25, 2019

South African comedian Trevor Noah is facing heavy criticism after a video of a stand-up routine from 2013 where he made a joke about Australia's Aboriginal women resurfaced online.

Australians on social media are now calling for a boycott of his tour scheduled to begin with a performance at Melbourne's Hisense Arena on August 23.

Noah can be seen making a joke about Aboriginal women in the video, which was first shared by Australian photographer, LaVonne Bobongie.

"All women of every race can be beautiful," the host of the Daily Show said. "And I know some of you are sitting there now going, 'Oh Trevor ... I've never seen a beautiful Aborigine' But you know what you say? You say, 'Yet.' Because you haven't seen all of them, right?"

"Plus it's not always about looks, maybe Aborigine women do special things, maybe they'll just like, jump on top of you," he said, before making a suggestive gesture.

The video has now been taken down and a contrite Noah wrote on his Twitter account that he would make sure it was not promoted anywhere again.


Several notable indigenous Australians criticized Noah and Australian academic Anita Heiss said she was "appalled and disgusted at the comments."

Former Australian National Rugby League Player, Joe Williams who posted the video on the social media platform, expressed his disapproval and asked Noah to apologize.

"Hey @Trevornoah, your comments about Aboriginal @IndigenousX in this clip are utterly unacceptable! As a man of color, you are usually in point with racism & divide - here you are perpetrating & encouraging racial abuse!!" Williams wrote.
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I am so disgusted and appalled by the comments by @Trevornoah and his attempted humour that denigrates Aboriginal women I hope Australians boycott his shows in #Brisbane #Sydney #Melbourne #Perth #Australia That kind of ‘humour’ is not funny and does damage! #racismitstopswithme https://t.co/yplwK2CtI7

— Dr Anita Heiss (@AnitaHeiss) July 22, 2018

Hey @Trevornoah, your comments about Aboriginal @IndigenousX in this clip are utterly unacceptable! As a man of colour, you are usually in point with racism & divide - here you are perpetrating & encouraging racial abuse!! #boycotttrevornoahinoz https://t.co/UNXE8TlBtq RT

— Joe Williams - TEW (@joewilliams_tew) July 22, 2018

A police officer who was filmed running down an Indigenous teenager has reportedly stood down. The West Australian officer was stood down from duty as an investigation is undertaken into the arrest and running over of the 18-year-old man, Nine News reported.

The incident which occurred on Wilfred Road, Thornlie, West Australia, was caught on camera, showing the undercover police car knocking down the Indigenous teenager, before he suffered multiple seizures.

Family members are calling for the senior sergeant to face criminal charges after the horrific incident which sent the teenager to hospital.

Initial footage of the incident was released earlier this week on Facebook, which police claim the teenager 'collided' with the police car.

However, the new footage shows the undercover police car crossing the road and hitting the teenager before he suffers multiple seizures.

A police officer is seen following the 18-year-old on foot on Sunday afternoon, before the unmarked police car crosses the road to cut him off before hitting him, SBS reported.


The teen falls to the ground after being struck by the vehicle before he begins seizing.

When he began to seize, police turned him to the side, as he continues to convulse, and is then handcuffed.

He was taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital for treatment.

CEO of Ngalla Maya Aboriginal Corporation Mervyn Eade, told NITV News that WA police had a long history of incidents involving Indigenous people.

The teen's uncle Mervyn Eades described the incident as "brutal" and "intentional". (9NEWS)

Gerry Georgatos of the National Indigenous Critical Response Service, also told NITV News that the police officers involved should be stood down.

West Australian police claimed the teenager was being sought after for questioning after people in the area complained about 'suspicious activity', SBS reported.
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Aboriginal people in Ontario are prepared to lay down their lives to protect their traditional lands from any unwanted development, a group of First Nations chiefs said Tuesday.

Aboriginal communities have seen what Canadian and Ontario laws have done to their land over the last 147 years, Beardy said.

"The land has become sick," he said. "We become sick. We become poor, desperate and dying."

The people of Grassy Narrows First Nation are still suffering from mercury poisoning decades after the Wabigoon river around their land was contaminated by a local paper mill, Beardy added.

Grand Chief of Treaty 3, Warren White, argued that Prime Minister Stephen Harper recognizes the state of Israel, but not the lands of Canada's aboriginal peoples.

"He needs to have the same principles that he's saying about Israeli lands to Treaty 3 territory and native lands in Canada," White said.


"Clean up your own backyard before you go and spill a lot of money into disasters in other countries."

Grand Chief Harvey Yesno of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation added that the province's aboriginal people will draw a line in the sand, put a stake in the ground and tie themselves to it if that's what it takes to protect their land from unwanted resource development.

"We're no longer just going to be civilly disobedient. We're going to defend our lands, and there's a big difference there," he said.

"Our young people are dying, our people are dying. So let's die at least defending our land."

Aboriginal communities don't want to harm others, said Beardy. But they'll do what they must to stop an incursion on their lands, such as forming human blockades to stop the clearcutting of trees, he said.

"Anything that happens on our aboriginal homeland now, they must consult with us," said Roger Fobister Sr., chief of Grassy Narrows First Nation. "Even if they're going to cut down one tree, they better ask us."
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For the past four decades, Noelene Lever has provided a haven for children in need, giving them the most important thing in life - love.

The 78-year-old selfless widow from the NSW north coast has opened her home to more than 50 foster children since the late 1970s, while working two jobs and caring for five of her own kids.

Ms Lever, who normally avoids too much fuss, was named the Barnardos NSW Mother of the Year on Tuesday, honouring her lifelong commitment to caring for children.

"I like to sit in the background and make a cup of tea while everyone else talks," she said after winning the gong.

Noelene lost her husband in a car accident and moved to Sydney to find work to support her five children in the late 70s.

She remembers clearly the first foster child she helped just after losing her husband. She was living in Sydney when a 12-year-old local boy asked if he could live with her family.


"I didn't question the parents but their attitude was like 'Well, if you think you can handle him, then fine he can stay with you'," Ms Lever said on Tuesday.

"He was good with me and I just gave him love."


Ms Lever never opted to adopt any of the 50 children because at the time it would have meant severing all ties with the foster children's families.

"To me it was important for them to know their family," she said.

Ms Lever was also heavily involved with the Aboriginal community in Redfern and worked with the Aboriginal Legal Service before she retired to live in Forster some eight years ago.
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Pauline Hanson has blasted the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony as “disgusting” for focusing on Australia’s indigenous heritage.

In an interview with Sky News, the One Nation leader said she considers herself indigenous because she was born in Australia and that she’s tired of “feeling like a second-class citizen in her own country”.

“I thought it was disgusting, absolutely disgusting,” she said of the ceremony.

“The indigenous Australians are part of the culture, the heritage of this country.

“They are not what Australia is about.”

Hanson blasted the 20-minute performance that featured Mau Power, the first hip-hop artist to emerge out of the Torres Straight, and didgeridoo player William Barton.


“I’m not used to seeing aboriginals singing rap,” she said. “I have got nothing against the Aboriginal people but I’m sick and tired of being made to feel as if I’m a second-class citizen in my own country.

“I’m indigenous as far as I’m concerned. I was born here. This is my country as much as anyone else.

“I’m sick and tired of people having a go at me because ‘it’s racism’. “Our country is what it is being of the migrants that are here.”