Tens of thousands of Australians protested over the treatment of Indigenous people on Sunday as the country celebrated a national holiday marking the 1788 arrival of British colonisers.

The vandalism unfolded in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Australia Day is a divisive holiday that critics see as a symbol of racism and oppression.

Australians celebrated and protested across the country on Sunday as Australia Day drew attention to political differences over Indigenous rights months out from a federal election. Australia Day marks a British colony being established at Sydney Cove on Jan.