Content Warning: Mentions of deaths, child removals, police brutality, missing persons and violence.
Honi Soit operates and publishes on Gadigal land. We work and produce this publication on stolen land where sovereignty was never ceded. The University of Sydney is a colonial institution that profits off the idea that Western ideologies are more worthy than the knowledge and practices of First Nations peoples.
Honi Soit is a publication that prioritises the voices of those who challenge these Western rhetorics and ways of teaching and learning. We strive to continue its legacy as a radical left-wing newspaper providing students with a unique opportunity to express their diverse voices and counter the violent biases of mainstream media.
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January 26th marks a day of mourning and resistance for First Nations people, signifying the beginning of British colonisation, dispossession and ongoing injustices – including the forced removal of children, deaths in custody and systemic police brutality. Despite the trauma and violence of invasion, First Nations people have persevered, continuing their fight for justice, land rights and sovereignty.
The annual Invasion Day Protest began at 10:00 AM in Belmore Park, Gadigal land. The event featured speeches by First Nations leaders and activists, led by third-generation legacy child Kyanna Hickey, whose passionate address energised a crowd determined for change and justice. Hundreds took to the streets, marching along Broadway with vociferous chants demanding justice and an end to ‘Australia Day’. Groups of approximately ten police officers lined the sides of the road throughout the march, maintaining a visible presence. The demonstration culminated at Victoria Park, where the momentum continued through cultural performances, community gatherings and market stalls.
The first speaker was Willei Coe, the son of Billy Craigie who was one of the founding members of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. He opened the lineup with a reflection on the legacy of the 1988 march. “I’m here today to make sure that these younger generations are coming through—it looks like they’re doing a good job,” he said. He closed with a powerful message: “Stay Blak, stay proud, and for all the other people following us, thank you too.”
Monica Kelly then spoke about her brother, Lewis “Buddy” Kelly, who was found deceased on train tracks in Kempsey, NSW, forty-one years ago. She condemned the systemic neglect surrounding his case, expressing her family’s relentless fight for justice as they continue to lobby the government and coroner for answers.
“The file has been sitting in the coroner’s desk for the last 3 years. To date, we’ve only gotten an email from them.” Kelly said, determined to bring him justice.
Jessica Thaidy also spoke about her father, Patrick Thaidy, who has been missing for five years and fifty-one days. She said that the police “aren’t taking it very seriously,” and urged anyone with information to come forward. Patrick Thaidy, once an Australian champion boxer, now suffers from dementia, making his disappearance even more distressing for his family—his wife of 42 years, three children, and four grandchildren. Jessica made a heartfelt plea to the protesters, calling on them to help bring him home. The Facebook page ‘Bring Patrick Thaidy Home’ is linked at the end of this article.
Ethan Lyons, a young Wiradjuri man and member of Blak Caucus, delivered a staunch speech condemning the ongoing injustices faced by First Nations people. “The war on Blakfellas continues—it never stopped. The war on our children never stopped,” he declared, highlighting the rising rates of Indigenous child removals, which now surpass those at the start of the Stolen Generations. Lyons reminded the crowd that First Nations people have endured over 300 years of injustice, criticising the nation’s manufactured idea of “unity” that ‘this country loves to sell.’
The speeches concluded with Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, a proud Bundjalung woman, and recently appointed Inaugural Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. She called for the importance of a treaty and an end to the ongoing injustices faced by First Nations people.
“We need to come to the table and understand what treaty means, how we end this war, and what we’re going to do to give First Nations people — and, more importantly, my daughter — an opportunity to thrive in our own land,” she said.
Turnbull-Roberts condemned the forced removal of Indigenous children, describing it as a war on Blak children. “We are forcibly removing our children at higher rates than we’ve ever seen before,” she said, recalling a heartbreaking moment in court where she watched an Elder arrive to support her grandson, only to realise both had been forcibly removed in their lifetimes, with nothing changing in between.
Every year First Nations people and allies have marched in defiance of Australia Day, demanding its abolition. This was not just a protest, but a reminder that First Nations people are still here, still fighting and will not be silenced. In the nature of continued fighting, Honi Soit urges our readers to stay involved. Stay aware of the ongoing atrocities against First Nations communities. Stay active in the space of advocacy and allyship. Stay protesting, stay loud and keep listening to First Nations people.
Resources
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
First Peoples Disabilities Network
Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia
Causes, Movements and Fundraisers to Support
Help bring Patrick Thaidy Home
Grandmothers Against Removals NSW
