THOUSANDS of Australians flouted Covid rules at Australia Day protests today.

Some 2,000 activists came together for the "Invasion Day" marches in Sydney and Melbourne, with outdoor gatherings in the country currently limited to 100.

Other marches also cropped up in Canberra, Brisbane and Darwin.

Five people were arrested at the Sydney protest, with both marches remaining mostly peaceful, police said.

However, things turned ugly in Melbourne after a man wearing a "Proud Boys" T shirt was led away in handcuffs.

Proud Boys is an all-male ultra right-wing group that often turns out at left-wing protests to agitate activists.

Police said two men were briefly detained after clashes, but no one was arrested.

'LARGELY PEACEFUL PROTESTS'

Organisers lobbied hard for officials to lift caps on the number of people allowed to gather, but the Aussie government wouldn't budge.

Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance, who set up a Facebook group for the marches, said they had urged people to comply with Covid rules and put a safety plan in place.

In all cities, most protesters appeared to be wearing masks.

Assistant Commissioner Willing of the New South Wales Police told 9News organisers agreed to cancel a planned march through Sydney's central business district after coming to an agreement on the crowds.

He said: "We reached some agreement with protest organisers, taking into account the heat that is obvious today, the potential disruption to the city and traffic and, indeed, the safety of all persons who are wanting to express their views as part of this protest to have protest attendees break into groups engage in social distancing as best they possibly could with assistance of police."

Australia Day marks the anniversary of Britain's First Fleet arriving in Sydney in 1788 – but the celebrations are controversial due to the ill-treatment of Indigenous Australian people by the settlers.

A years-long "change the date" campaign led by a group of Indigenous Australians is lobbying to move the day, and sever ties with the celebration's colonial roots.

Official events for the day acknowledge the atrocities and highlight Indigenous traditions, the BBC reports, although a lot of the celebrations were cancelled due to Covid concerns.

This year's festivities in Sydney kicked off with a traditional Indigenous dance and a smoking ceremony.

Protesters shouted"sovereignty was never ceded" and "no justice, no peace" as they carried placards through Sydney's streets that read: "Not a Date to Celebrate" and "Black Lives Matter".

'NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE'

The Facebook description for the Melbourne event reads: "January 26 is rooted in colonial violence and genocide, and not a day to celebrate."

A Brisbane activist said: "Today, me, my friends and family continue the fight my ancestors started and not let it die and hopefully get the message across."

In Canberra, thousands gathered to sit in silence outside Parliament House.

And in Darwin activists could be seen marching through the streets shouting: "No justice, no peace."

Meanwhile, thousands of Aussies headed to the beach to celebrate.

Pictures show locals crowded onto scenic beaches in Sydney with large groups ignoring social distancing rules.

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Beach car parks across Sydney including Balmoral Beach and the Royal National Park were closed in a bid to deter locals from hitting the beaches.

Signs were plastered across car parks asking beachgoers to rethink their plans.

Police patrolled large groups of people who ignored social distancing rules while other officers watched from a distance as people swam with their friends at Gordons Bay.

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