Here Are All The 2022 Invasion Day Events You Can Attend This Year To Lend Your Support

Attend, show support and lend your voice to the movement.

The notion of Australia Day, where people in the country celebrate the nation, sounds like a good one. But January 26 is also the anniversary of the invasion and colonisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples — a traumatic part of Australian history that still impacts communities today.

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First Nations peoples suffered at the hands of colonisers with discriminatory governmental policies like "White Australia", the stealing of Aboriginal children — also known as The Stolen Generation — plus years of discrimination and disrespect of traditional lands.

Issues surrounding life expectancy, death in custody and much more still impact First Nations peoples.

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As such, Jan 26 doesn't connote a sense of unity and togetherness — rather, it's a stark reminder that we, as a nation, are still brushing our history under the rug.

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So, if you want to protest Jan 26 this year, here are some rallies that you can attend in major cities.

BuzzFeed Australia has sourced the below information from the individual event listings. All details are up-to-date as of time of publication. If you're considering attending one of the events, please check the individual events pages for updates and further information. Stay safe and abide by COVID-19 restrictions.

Cadi / Sydney, NSW — Invasion Day 2022

Indigenous Social Justice Association / Via Facebook

"We honour this proud history of resistance and will retrace the steps of the 1938 Day of Mourning. This involves a silent march from Town Hall to Australia Hall on Elizabeth St, before proceeding to Yabun in Victoria Park. Rally organisers want to make it clear we take the threat of COVID-19 very seriously, even as the Australian government proves again they don’t care about the health of Aboriginal people or the broader community. We request all rally attendees wear a mask and try and spread out at the rally. Please do not attend if you are feeling unwell or have any flu-like symptoms."

Where + when: Town Hall in the Sydney CBD at 10am. Discover more here.

Additional events in NSW:

Day of Mourning Markets — Awabakal Country, Newcastle, 10am–5pm.

Griffith Survival Day — Wirajuri Country, at 5 Wayeela St, 12pm. 

Yabun Festival — Victoria Park, Broadway, 12–10pm. You can also tune into the live stream at yabun.org.au or you catch it on Koori Radio 93.7FM.

Wadawurrung Country / Ballarat, VIC — Survival Day Dawn Ceremony

Ballarat Koorie Engagement Action Group

"The Koorie Engagement Action Group (KEAG) invites you to join us for Ballarat’s Survival Day Dawn Ceremony. Let’s come together and stand in solidarity to peacefully reflect on those who have gone before us."

Where + when: View Point, Lake Wendouree, Ballarat at 5:30am. Discover more here. 

Additional events in VIC:

Victorian NAIDOC 2022 Invasion Day Dawn Service — A virtual event, streamed from 6:15am.

Our Survival Day — Mount Martha, 12–6pm. This event is ticketed. 

Belgrave Survival Day — A virtual event only, find out more details here.

Mildura Survival Day — Langtree mall, 11am. 

Note for Melbourne residents: Naarm Invasion Day rally organisers, Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR), have cancelled the event this year, in light of the surging COVID-19 cases in Melbourne.

"After lots of consideration, WAR has decided to cancel the Invasion Day March in Melbourne. It would be careless to hold an event in the height of a pandemic and a virus that has taken ahold of so many in our community."

Boorloo / Perth — Invasion Day Rally 2022

Marianne Yoorgabilya Mackay / Via Facebook

"Come and join us as we gather to speak about the true history of Australia Day or Invasion/Survival day as we call it. Then at 2pm we will march through the streets of Perth."

Where + when: Forrest Place, Perth at 12pm. Discover more here. 

Additional events in WA:

Birak Concert — Supreme Court Gardens, Riversdale, 3–7:30pm. 

Rubibi Survival Day 2022 — Broome, 12–10pm. This event is ticketed. 

lutruwita / Tasmania — Online Invasion Day Rally 2022

Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre

"This year, our Invasion Day Rally will be held online in order to keep our community and supporters safe from COVID-19. We have a great line up of speakers including Grace Tame, Jessica Munday, Richard Condie, Uncle Jimmy Everett and Rodney Gibbins! The event will include a welcome to country, one minute silence to honour the Aboriginal lives lost during the invasion and a dance ceremony.

NOTE: There will not be any rallies in person this year in lutruwita / Tasmania. Please do not gather at Parliament House lawns or Devonport. Our event is online."

When: 11:45am–1pm. Discover more here.

Garramilla / Darwin — Protest To Close Don Dale Detention Centre

Close Don Dale

"In Darwin, there are a record high number of children locked up in Don Dale. All the children are Indigenous. The White/Gooda Royal Commission in 2017 recommended loudly and clearly that the Government should 'close the current Don Dale Youth Detention Centre.' The Labor Government has steadfastly ignored that. The only way to end this atrocity is by peaceful direct action, taken by Australian citizens from all walks of life. 

We now call out for support from members of the Australian community to bring about, as soon as possible, a return to basic decency by closing Don Dale. We ask for more and more numbers to voice their support and, if they can, attend this demonstration."

Where + when: Don Dale Detention Centre, 10am. Discover more here. 

Meanjin / Brisbane — Invasion Day Rally And March

Lynda Maybanks

"Rally to begin at Queens Garden, then through to Musgrave Park. Marshalls will be equipped with water and hand sanitiser. There will be a 24 seat bus for Elders, and speeches, music and food at Musgrave Park."

Where + when: Queens Garden, 144 George St, Brisbane, at 8am. Discover more here. 

Kaurna Country / Adelaide — Survival Day 2022

Natasha Wangasx Wanganeen / Via Facebook

"Show up in solidarity! We need all of you, South Australia, to stand with us. Stand with the Aboriginal People of our lands. Stand for our rights as First Nations People who have belonged to this land for hundreds of thousands of years. The land that you're all safe on, the land that has given you a life, given your families a future at the cost of ours. Stand up and fight for those who have come before you by standing with our people."

Where + when: Tarndanyangga (Victoria Square), 12-4pm. Discover more here. 

If you can't join the rallies and marches, here are some ways you can still support First Nations peoples on January 26.

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