Aboriginal protesters hold signs as they demonstrate outside the Victorian State Parliament in Melbourne on the occasion of Australia Day on January 26, 2017. | Photo Credit: REUTERSmore-inThousands of protesters marred celebrations of Australia’s national day on Thursday by cranking up pressure on the government to acknowledge indigenous suffering by shifting the date. Australia Day celebrates the arrival of the first British colonists in Sydney Harbor on January 26, 1788. His deputy Barnaby Joyce described the debate as “political correctness gone mad” and accused Australia Day opponents of trying to make the nation feel guilty. David Hurley, the ceremonial head of Australia’s most populous state, used his Australian Day speech to salute the resilience of indigenous Australians.

Source: The Hindu January 26, 2017 08:48 UTC