January 26 means different things to many people. The first documented protest on this date took place in 1938, when Aboriginal leaders including Jack Patten and William Ferguson organised the Day of Mourning in Sydney to protest 150 years of dispossession and discrimination. Since then, Aboriginal people have protested on this date every year.
While the focus of these protests changes from year to year – reflecting the issues most urgent to communities at the time – the core message remains the same: justice, recognition and respect for First Nations people.
This year, tens of thousands of Australians joined together on January 26 in a powerful show of solidarity. Here’s what happened around the country:
- Gadigal Land (Sydney)
- Naarm (Melbourne)
- Magandjin (Brisbane)
- Tarnndanyangga (Adelaide)
- Boorloo (Perth)
Gadigal Land
Source: Jack Toohey
Naarm
Source: Ross Hageman / AIA National Photography Network
Source: Naqib Sarwary
Magandjin
Tarnndanyangga
Source: Russell Ailion / AIA National Photography Network
Boorloo
Source: David Swift / AIA National Photography Network
Raise the age and end torturous practices
Standing up for justice also means standing up for some of the most vulnerable in our communities. Across Australia, children as young as 10 are locked up in youth detention and subjected to practices that case lasting harm and, in many instances, amount to torture: spit hoods, prolonged solitary confinement, and adult watchhouses and prisons.
First Nations children are disproportionately impacted, alongside many children with disabilities, neurodivergence, experience of out-of-home care, or who are victims of crime.
Locking up children and subjecting them to this treatment doesn’t reduce crime, costs around $1 million per year per child, and breaches international human rights standards.
Can we count on you to sign our petition to end torturous practices in youth detention and help protect the most vulnerable children in our communities? Every single signature increases pressure on Australian governments to invest in approaches that keep children safe, supported and out of harm.
If you have already taken action and added your name to our petition, thank you. Your support is powerful.
We are also hosting an Indigenous Solidarity Forum, where together we’ll build a shared understanding of what’s happening in youth detention, why it constitutes a national crisis and what collective action is needed to put an end to these practices.
🗓️ Wednesday February 18, 2026
⏱️ 7:00pm – 8:30pm AEDT
🌏 Online (Zoom)
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all – and we can only do it with your support.
Act now or learn more about our human rights work.
