At midday on Sunday, thousands of protesters gathered in Hobart and held a minute's silence to remember atrocities perpetuated against Aboriginal people.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Protesters marched through Hobart to Parliament Lawns for the annual Invasion Day rally which calls for the date of Australia Day to be changed.
Tasmanian Aboriginal Tyenna Hogan delivered the welcome address first in palawa kani, a Tasmanian Aboriginal language, then in English.
"There's not much I can say that hasn't been said before. I can reiterate the fact that celebrating on January 26 is not only offensive - it's cruel and inhumane," Ms Hogan said.
"I don't believe Australia is worth celebrating.
"I'll never feel comfortable praising a country that continues to destroy sacred land, rape and pillage the country in the name of economy, imprison and torture children and deny basic human rights to people of colour.
"Pressure is rising and the government can not continue to ignore our calls."
Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network spokesman Jamie Graham-Blair said January 26 was a day of remembrance and mourning for many.
"Today marks the day the British raised their flag in Botany Bay and illegally, even against their own laws, claimed sovereignty of Aboriginal land as their own," Mr Blair said.
"This was the first moment of theft and the ripple effects from the moment are still being felt today, over two centuries later."