Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard trapped in restaurant by Aborigines – photos
TO Australia, where riot police and security guards have dragged Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to safety as she was handing out gongs for Australia Day celebrations. Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott were trapped inside The Lobby restaurant in Canberra by an estimated 200 angry indigenous rights protesters from the nearby Aboriginal Tent Embassy. The protestors banged on the glass and yelled “shame” and “racist”. But they didn’t get inside.
A steely-eyed protection officer led Gillard to safety. (Cue Whitney Houston Bodyguard soundtrack and a montage of the Queen smiling with dark-skinned natives.)
The Times sees “fear in her eyes“. She loses a shoe. And, no, no-one picks it up and tosses it at her. This is not Baghdad.
What had trigged the aggro was, apparently, Tony Abbott opinion that the Aboriginal Tent Embassy – a 40 year-old semi-permanent structure – should go:
“I think the indigenous people of Australia can be very proud of the respect in which they are held by every Australian. I think a lot has changed since then, and I think it probably is time to move on from that.”
Michael Anderson, the embassy founder, replied:
“He said the Aboriginal embassy had to go, we heard it on a radio broadcast. “We thought no way, so we circled around the building. You’ve got 1000 people here peacefully protesting and to make a statement about tearing down the embassy – it’s just madness on the part of Tony Abbott. What he said amounts to inciting racial riots.”
Consider riot incited…
Posted: 26th, January 2012 | In: Politicians Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
