Police And Protesters Clash At Sydney Invasion Day March

Violence erupted at the Invasion Day march in Sydney after a person allegedly tried to set an Australian flag on fire.

“A participant allegedly ignited a flag within the crowd,” a spokesperson from the NSW police told Fairfax. “Officers used a fire extinguisher to put the fire out a short time later to ensure the safety of other protesters.”

A clash between police and protesters then ensued, during which an officer and a female participant were injured. According to the police spokesperson, the injured woman was treated at the scene and later taken to hospital.

A 20-year-old man was charged with assaulting police, resisting arrest and malicious damage to property. He was taken to Redfern Police Station where he assisted police with their inquiries; there, he was granted conditional bail and is set to appear in court next month.

Journalists and demonstrators caught the incident on film.

The moment police tackle Aboriginal protester trying to light Australian flag on fire. #AustraliaDay #InvasionDayhttps://t.co/zI6fHJYa1H pic.twitter.com/sPJ2CMkfMJ

— Allan Clarke (@AllanJClarke) 26 January 2017

The scuffle was not enough to dampen the march. Protesters resumed chanting in opposition to police power, and continued on to Victoria Park. Thousands had gathered at The Block in Redfern, where a number of speeches were delivered, before walking through the inner-city towards Yabun festival.

Ken Canning, one of the organisers of the Invasion Day rally, said people were waking up to the scam of Australia Day. Speaking on the turnout he said, “[Today] we’ll have thousands marching with us under the banner of Invasion Day.” Supporter numbers have increased exponentially since 2015, when there were only around 300 protesters.

“This is not a day to celebrate,” Canning bellowed to a cheering crowd. “This was an invasion and it’s still going on today.” Despite the debate about changing the date, he said there shouldn’t be any day to celebrate genocide. “We’ve got to start looking at what is right or wrong in this country and it’s totally wrong to celebrate the massacres of our people,” voiced Canning.

Gladys Berejiklian, the new NSW state Premier, has condemned the alleged violence. “We have a democracy and everyone has a right to protest, but today is celebrating everything that brings us together, and I think that most people would feel extremely disappointed at what they have seen today,” she said.

“It’s not acceptable to do that on a day like today however please feel free to express your views.”

Photo: Twitter (@AllanJClarke)