Australia Day, a date known for sparking heated debates, saw statues vandalized in major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra this year. While some Australians celebrate the holiday with barbecues and pool parties, others view it as a painful reminder of colonial oppression.

The protests took a dramatic turn when statues of British settlers and figures like Captain James Cook were targeted. In Sydney, a statue of Cook, who claimed part of Australia for Britain in 1770, was drenched in red paint and had its hand and nose damaged. This wasn’t the first time the statue faced such an attack—it had been repaired after a similar incident last year.

In Melbourne, things escalated further. A monument to John Batman, an explorer who settled the city on Aboriginal land, was completely destroyed. Protesters also left their mark on a World War I memorial, spray-painting the words “land back” on it.

The holiday, which marks the arrival of the British fleet in Sydney Harbor in 1788, remains deeply divisive. Critics often refer to it as “Invasion Day” or “Survival Day,” using it as an opportunity to highlight the centuries of oppression faced by Indigenous Australians.

These acts of vandalism are a powerful statement, reflecting the ongoing tension surrounding Australia’s colonial history. For many, the day is less about celebration and more about reckoning with the past.

As debates over the holiday’s significance continue, one thing is clear: the conversation won’t be silenced anytime soon.