Controversy has arisen in Australia after a group of protestors set to fire to the Union Jack on the national day of mourning for the Queen.
Footage emerged online on Thursday showing a group of people burning the UK national flag outside Parliament House in Canberra before they began an anti-monarchy protest.
Another clip shared by a Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) journalist showed an Australian flag being set on fire in Brisbane, accompanied by crowds shouting “always was, always will be Aboriginal land”.
The dramatic scenes came as Australia marked Thursday 22 September a national day of mourning, with schools, libraries and banks closed across the country.
But the public holiday has been disputed by some who feel it does not take into the account the opinions of Australia's aborigine population, leading to protests across a number of major cities.
Some of these concerns appear to have been acknowledged by governor-general General David Hurley, who in a speech at a national remembrance service called the day of mourning one of sadness but “also a day of reflection”.
The country's representative of the monarch, who had just returned from attending the Queen's funeral in London on Monday, went on to acknowledge that the country’s First Nations people have been “shaped by the colonial history”.
He said: “In considering the unifying role Her Majesty played, I’d acknowledge that her passing has prompted different reactions for some in our community.
"I’m conscious to respect that many First Nations Australians shaped by the colonial history have brought a reconciliation journey. That is a journey we as a nation must complete.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meanwhile praised the late Queen Elizabeth as a "rare and reassuring constant in a world of change", who remained steadfast to her values "in an era of fads and fashionable causes".
Striking a conciliatory tone with those opposed to the memorial, he added: "Perhaps the greatest tribute we can offer her family and her memory is not a marble statue or a metal plaque. It is a renewed embrace of service to community. A truer understanding of our duty to others. A stronger commitment to respect for all”
“This would be a most fitting memorial, to a magnificent life of service to others. May Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II rest in eternal peace.”
