‘We’ll be back’: protesters pledge Invasion Day return
Protesters have vowed to return on Jan. 26 after a rally over First Nations deaths in custody was forced to disperse due to “authoritarian” restrictions on public gatherings.
Nearly 200 people gathered in Hyde Park in central Sydney on Sunday, weeks after NSW Police issued a declaration preventing residents from obtaining permits to protest, leaving participants vulnerable to arrest for obstructing traffic or pedestrians or marching in the streets.
Protest organizers discussed moving to another location with police and suggested crossing the road in smaller groups to avoid impeding access for others.
However, when the crowd started to move towards the traffic lights, the police intervened and changed direction.
Although many people spoke out against the orders and the state’s anti-protest laws in general, protest organizer Paul Silva thanked participants and urged them to comply for their safety.
“I don’t want anyone to be attacked, I don’t want anyone to be brutalized, and unfortunately these laws allow that,” he said.
Following the Bondi terror attack, in which two gunmen killed 15 people, police were given the power to issue notices through legislation passed by the NSW Parliament.
The protest ban can be implemented after a declared terrorist attack and can be extended every two weeks for up to three months. The current declaration has been extended until January 20.
As police prepare to decide on another extension on Tuesday, many worry it could affect the annual Occupy Day protests on January 26; these protests often raise awareness of First Nations issues, such as deaths in custody.
But Sunday’s protesters vowed to return to police, chanting “we will be back” and “see you on the day of the invasion.”
Despite disagreements with protesters, Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna was pleased with the way the situation was handled.
“They dispersed peacefully, there were no arrests, and overall I was very happy,” he told reporters.
NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson said the turnout was a show of courage in the face of “anti-democratic” restrictions.
“It’s not legal to walk on the streets like we normally do and it’s scary,” he told AAP.
“This is what happens in an authoritarian state. This is what happens in an unhealthy democracy.”
Surrounded by dozens of police, including officers on horseback and bicycles, First Nations advocates described Mr. Silva’s experiences with systemic racism more than 10 years after his uncle, David Dungay Jr., died in custody after being restrained by prison officers.
“I’m here to fight for my uncle, for everyone I’ve witnessed caught up in this system,” he told the crowd.
Mr Silva said since the final report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was circulated in 1991, 615 First Nations people had died in custody.
In 2025, Australia recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in custody in 45 years.
