Thousands protest Australia Day legacy

A man holds up a placard during a demonstration on Australia Day in Sydney, January 26, 2019. REUTERS/Stefica Nicol Bikes

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people rallied across Australia on Saturday calling for the abolition of the Jan. 26 national holiday in protests showing a deep division over a festivity intended to celebrate the birth of modern Australia.

While Australia Day marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the "First Fleet" of British ships at Sydney Cove, many indigenous Australians, who trace their lineage on the continent back 50,000 years, regard it as "Invasion Day".