Emotions have run high at competing Australia Day rallies as the prime minister highlighted the role immigrants have played in helping to shape the nation.

Thousands of Invasion Day demonstrators were evacuated from Forrest Place in Perth’s CBD after a potential explosive was thrown into the crowd on Monday afternoon.

Police evacuated buildings and locked down the Perth CBD after a man threw a device into a crowd of 2000 people protesting Australia Day.

The Invasion Day rally in Perth's CBD had already attracted some 2000 people when an object containing shrapnel was allegedly lobbed into the crowd. Credit: Chris Tan Western Australia Police say a man has been charged after a device containing screws and ball bearings was lobbed at a January 26 march in Perth.

Follow our rolling coverage of all the major Australia Day events and protests taking place across Sydney today.

While the split between those who want to change the date and those who want to keep it has not changed, those who oppose feel more strongly about it than ever.

In the lead up to January 26, Lush has teamed up with First Nations clothing label Clothing The Gaps to create the ‘Always Will Be’ soap in an effort to encourage Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to formally acknowledge the ongoing harm of celebrating ‘Australia Day’ on this date.