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Thursday February 23, 2012

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Anger: Aboriginal activists under fire

Posted by: 2UE | 27 January, 2012 - 11:55 AM
PM Gillard and Tony Abbott pushed about during Aboriginal protest

Aboriginal activists are under fire after a violent protest in Canberra. Aboriginal leaders have distanced themselves from yesterday's violent protest by activists in Canberra.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott were trapped inside a restaurant for 20-minutes, while protestors banged on its glass walls.

Police managed to pull the pair out of the venue, but PM Gillard lost her shoe while running to her car.

Demonstrators say the incident was sparked by Mr Abbott's suggestion that it might be time to remove Canberra's Tent Embassy.

Jason Morrison speaks with Opposition Leader Tony Abbott about the venom of the protest, and his views on the Aboriginal tent embassy.

 

 

 

Indigenous leader and former ALP national president Warren Mundine was appalled by the violence.

 

Jason Morrison speaks with 2UE's Canberra Bureau Chief Michael Pachi outside the Aboriginal tent embassy.

 

The people behind yesterdays violent protest in Canberra, are blaming police and security staff, saying they overreacted. David Oldfield speaks with Lyle Munro, Aboriginal Community spokesman who was at the protest and seeks to get answers to what exactly it is the protestors want?

 

One of the founders of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy has admitted they got it wrong and misheard comments by the opposition leader, which led to their Australia Day protest.

Founding member Michael Anderson has admitted today that they had misinterpreted Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's comments and were outraged by them.

He's told Fairfax Radio when he said it's time to move on, people misinterpreted that, and unfortunately it provoked an incident.

 

Mr Abbott had actually suggested it was time to move on from the politics of the tent embassy, established outside Old Parliament House 40 years ago. But Mr Anderson says he felt the police response to their activity was an overreaction.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has spoken again with media again this morning about the protest.

 

David Oldfield speaks with Isabell Coe who has been at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy for 40 years. What do they want? How can we help recognise what it is the indigenous protestors want, and why does the embassy still exist.

 

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Paul Murray speaks with Fairfax photographer Alex Ellinghausen who snapped the PM stumbling through protestors at Australia Day commemorations in Canberra. His photos show the still photograph remains a powerful tool in an age of video.

 

Tim Webster speaks with Defence Writer Ian McPhedran about the distress surrounding the PM being dragged away from The Lobby restaurant. Should security be reassessed? Was the potential for trouble underestimated?

 

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says claims a member of her office contacted the tent embassy in Canberra to tell protesters the location of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott minutes before a scuffle broke out are news to her.

2UE News understands members of Ms Gillard's office are checking phone records after the allegations were made public.

Speaking from Melbourne, PM Gillard has played down claims that members of her staff helped orchestrate yesterday's violent demonstration.


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Blog comments Your Say

  • MANY people, countries (in Europe, Asia, Americas..) over last 1000 of centuries have had their countries undergo a change of culture through forced or peaceful take over & many races â?? including the Homo sapience that inhabited this land prior to the Aborigines southern migration ... Suffering & pain was and is the part of life & human history. Only in WW2 about 27 million Russians died (plus Stalin murdered another 28 million of his own people- civilians ).
    About 70 years ago millions of Jews were tortured, butchered, gassed..including children.
    About 70 years ago many Aborigines children were rescued from the tribes who refused them because they were half-white and without father.
    The white Australians were the once who saved their lives and were doing their best to give those children better chance in life.
    Aborigines wish to preserve the culture of their ancestors? â?? Does that mean they want to live WITHOUT clothing, housing, money, knowledge, technology and everything else the European civilisation brought into this country, have developed & created ?
    Whatever bad might have happened to EACH OF US in our personal life â?? we have a choice: to become a victim & miserable OR to see ALL our life experiences (good & bad) as priceless lessons & opportunities to growth.
    Aborigines have a choice to live in civilisation, where they can enjoy the music, ART, learning, read books, travel, get education (= freedom!), fulfil their dreams, be creative... OR they you can choose to go back to the bush and live the traditional lifestyle of their aborigines ancestors: without any housing, money, or electricity, live naked, hunt for food, sleep under the trees and eat worms.
    'The world outside is merely a reflection of the world we have created inside'.

    Tatiana Monday 30 January, 2012 - 6:20 PM

  • i was interested to read in the newspaper to day the herald that one of the tent embassy protesters is actually trying to stand for federal parliament as a greens rep.
    sO Has the green fimnally showing their true colours and having people representing their constituents in a federal parliament who actually want to tear down our democracy and give the aboriginal total control.So 200,000 aboriginals telling 23 milllion australians what to do

    jag Monday 30 January, 2012 - 1:14 PM

  • Why is no action being taken by the Canberra police to arrest and charge the rioters on Australia Day. Charges of affray, apprehended violence, offensive behaviour, offensive language are clearly there. Oh, thats right the Canberra plastic police are subject to the direction of Gillard and comrades - the organisers of this utterly disgusting riot by the so called aboriginal clan!

    Jonathon L Monday 30 January, 2012 - 8:03 AM

  • A couple of points to ponder.
    1. Invasion day, yes there was a country that came over and took over Australia.
    2. Many countries have been invaded, I come from one England, that has been invaded for thousands of years, same as hundreds of countries through out the world.
    Simply saying you are the first inhabitants has through out history never reversed the invasion/occupation. Austalia is an invaded country and the origional inahibitants have no sovereignty the new owners have it.
    Unless Australia gets invaded by someone else and it gets taken from them, like nearly happened when the Japanese tried, it will stay in the presant hands.

    andybris Saturday 28 January, 2012 - 11:40 PM

  • Charge them!! Whats with the double standards?! So if White Australians protest against the murders and rapes of their people by immigrant scum they end up in jail!! WTF!! But when aboriginies riot and spit on our flag they are allowed to get away with it!! I WANNA SEE HEADS ROLL!! Otherwise DEATH TO THE COMMIE-LABOUR PARTY!!

    Robert Saturday 28 January, 2012 - 7:48 PM

  • These "activists" (read: This rabble) were manipulated by an individual in Julia Gillard's office, who thought he was doing the right thing for his employer. Bearing in mind our "prime minister"'s history, I wonder what might have given him that impression? Oh, maybe it's not so hard to work out after-all.

    David T. Saturday 28 January, 2012 - 4:10 PM

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