‘This is war’: Aboriginal activists rally against Indigenous voice on Australia Day. By Ellie Dudley.

Anti-voice sentiment was front and centre at Invasion Day rallies across the country with protesters encouraging one another to vote No, splintering debate around the referendum and causing greater divide between Indigenous Australians.

Tens of thousands of Australians gathered in city centres on Thursday morning to march the streets in protest of Australia Day.

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe declared there was a “war” between the government and Indigenous Australians when she addressed the crowd at Melbourne’s rally.

Lidia Thorpe brandishing a “battle stick” on the steps of Victoria’s Parliament (Daily Mail)

She said Aboriginal people “deserve better than an advisory body” and urged protestors to push for a treaty instead of a voice.

“This is a war. They are still killing us. They are still killing our babies. What do we have to celebrate in our country?” she told the crowd. …

“We have an opportunity to have a treaty … that could put 10 independent Blak seats in the parliament today. We want real power and we won’t settle for anything less.” …

“Liberal, Labor … any white political system is not for black people, it’s not for sovereignty,” protest MC Lizzie Jarrett said into the microphone.

“We already had a referendum back in ‘67 and it did f**k all for our rights.” …

Some protestors wore black, red and yellow shirts, and held signs that read “there’s no pride in genocide”. Others wore garments sporting slogans like “treaty now” or “f**k the voice”. …

Protesters then marched up Broadway to Victoria Park, chanting: “Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.”

Wow, talk about encouraging racial division and racism. Obviously power-hungry, and probably blinded by the dollar signs.

Trained by our system to succeed by always demanding more. Obviously this is not going to end well.

Lidia Thorpe makes a strong case against the Voice, but probably not in the way she intends.