MELBOURNE: Tens of thousands of people marched across Australia yesterday in an “Invasion Day” protest calling for a rethink of the national day they say is offensive to indigenous people, reports AFP.

The annual January 26 Australia Day holiday commemorates the arrival of the first British settlers in 1788, but for many Australians it marks the beginning of colonial oppression of Aboriginal people. “Australia is a diverse culture now, and we need to be inclusive to everyone, so change the date (of the national day),” Melbourne protestor Rachel Muir told AFP.

More than 10,000 people joined a march in Melbourne where protestors chanted “always was, always will be Aboriginal land”, and holding banners stating “You are on stolen land”. Thousands more people rallied in major cities across the country.

“Australia has to come to terms with our indigenous peoples,” protestor Greg Hunt told AFP. “To celebrate Australia Day on the day that Europeans invaded Australia is an affront and very, very disrespectful to the people whose land we took.”

Divisions have deepened in recent years with increasing calls to change the date and protests increasing in size.