Protests, citizenship festivities mark contentious Australia Day holiday

Protesters attend the "Abolish the Date" rally to demand that Australia Day, the country's national day, be changed, as the date marks the arrival of Britain's First Fleet in 1788 and subsequent colonisation of indigenous Australians, in Sydney, Australia, January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Jill Gralow

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Thousands rallied against the mistreatment of Indigenous people across Australia on Wednesday as citizenship ceremonies took place to mark the country's national day intended to celebrate the birth of modern Australia.

The Jan. 26 public holiday marks the date the British fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour in 1788 to start a penal colony, viewing the land as unoccupied despite encountering settlements.