Julia Gillard, Australian Prime Minister, Flees From Angry Protesters

CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard stumbled and was caught by a security guard as riot police helped her force a path through a crowd of rowdy protesters following a ceremony to mark Australia's national day Thursday.

She appeared distressed as she was pulled away from the protesters but was unharmed. She later remarked that she was made of "pretty tough stuff" and commended police for their actions.

Some 200 supporters of indigenous rights had surrounded a Canberra restaurant and banged its windows while Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott were inside officiating at an award ceremony.

Around 50 police escorted the political leaders from a side door to a car. Gillard stumbled, losing a shoe. Her personal security guard wrapped his arms around her and supported her to the waiting car, shielding her from the angry crowd.

The protesters had been demonstrating for indigenous rights nearby at the so-called Aboriginal Tent Embassy, a ramshackle collection of tents and temporary shelters in the national capital that is a center point of protests against Australia Day.

Australia Day marks the arrival of the first fleet of British colonists in Sydney on Jan. 26, 1788. Many Aborigines call it Invasion Day because the land was settled without a treaty with traditional owners.

Abbott appeared to be the target of protesters, who chanted "shame" and "racist" outside the restaurant.

The Tent Embassy celebrated its 40th anniversary on Thursday. Abbott had earlier angered indigenous activists by saying it was time the embassy "moved on."

Gillard was unharmed and later hosted another Australia Day function for foreign ambassadors at her official residence.

"The only thing that angers me is that it distracted from such a wonderful event," Gillard told reporters.

"I am made of pretty tough stuff and the police did a great job," she added.

Reaction from protesters afterward was mixed, with some saying police assaulted them and that Gillard and Abbott were never in danger. They also made conflicting claims over who had Gillard's shoe – a Midas high-heeled blue suede – and if it would be returned.

Comments

[Carmen Michael]

07:25 PM on 01/28/2012

Since publishing this article, it has transpired that one of Julia Gillard's own staffers may have incited the protestors. But this all distracts from the real issues of indigenous Australia.

The truth is that the demonstrations show that a healthy debate is flourishing within the Australian aboriginal community.

The Aboriginal community no longer speaks with one voice in Australia, and that’s a good thing.

While indigenous intellectuals like Pat Dodson, Marcia Langton, Noel Pearson and their fellow panel members strive for constitutional reform, hardcore activists like Michael Anderson say they should only settle for sovereignty.

On the other side, moderates like Warren Mundine, Chairman of the Australian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, say the race card is stifling debate.

The disconnected intellectuals, the wild eyed firebrands and even the people who don’t care, are all essential to the future of indigenous Australia.

[e-mail]

[MikeWebster]

01:51 AM on 02/02/2012

I don't think the Aboriginal community could ever have been accused of having just one voice. On the other hand, there were less Aboriginal representatives well known to Australian society in the past, so perhaps the opinion of people like Charles Perkins were taken as universal Aboriginal opinion.

I agree, there is some real talent emerging into more influential positions these days.

[Progressneeded]

09:20 PM on 01/27/2012

Australia is about as racist as any other place that was populated by an invading group of people to the peril of the original inhabitants!

[MikeWebster]

01:51 AM on 02/02/2012

True, but still less racist than just about any other country I can think of.

[Jack Kalpakian]

06:01 PM on 01/27/2012

It is a sad day for the Aboriginal Rights Movement. This type and tone of protests will cost it support from the non-Aboriginal community. Remember, this is a labor PM, meaning that she is usually more sympathetic to their need and desire for justice than a conservative Liberal or National PM. They had a right to be angry, their demands were just, their method was a complete failure.

[MikeWebster]

01:52 AM on 02/02/2012

Certainly many Aboriginal public figures were worried about what you say. It turns out now though, that this is being used as a political propaganda campaign against the Prime Minister, and there has been virtually no major reaction from the community to the riot.

[Keith E]

01:43 PM on 01/27/2012

It's sad to see the same racist attitudes towards natives in Australia as it is here in Canada. Sadly our government treats natives as second class citizens along with many nations around the world.

Ask yourself why they deserve such oppression?

[GSR]

04:07 PM on 01/27/2012

The oppression is more historical then contemporaneous, however the weight and resonance of that history is still oppresses today.

[MikeWebster]

01:56 AM on 02/02/2012

I'm not sure that they are very actively oppressed these days. The build up of historical injustice, and the destruction of culture that they have endured, do make the problem much more intractable.

I tend to think that even Europeans with the very best of intentions rarely had any chance of making an improvement to the situation of Australian Aborigines. This, I think, is because the solutions were against our way of thinking, and included things like allowing autonomy, amongst other things.

I hope that the country is slowly moving to a more effective approach to trying to do the best for all it's citizens.

[LogicalMathMan]

12:37 PM on 01/27/2012

The aborigines are to Australia what the native Indians are to the US - both their lands were invaded by White people, but that's where the similarity ends. The Brits used Australia as a massive prison for her criminal subjects. The US' White invaders merely appropriated the land through force. The victor gets to write History.

[GSR]

03:41 PM on 01/27/2012

With one big difference. The original owners were not warriors like Native Americans and The Moari in New Zealand (although they did fight many battles against the invaders). American settlers,confronting skilled fighters meant that the invaders had to negotiate treaties with the owners. These treaties were the basis for Native Americans being recognised in the US Constitution in this brief passage

"Congress shall have Power . . . To regulate Commerce . . . with the Indian Tribes."

Right there is a recognition of a form of sovereignty and title ownership in the US Constitution.

Australian is embarking on a constitutional ammendment recognising a similar form of sovereignty. It may be largely symbolic and very late but symbolism in these matters is massively important.

[LogicalMathMan]

07:58 PM on 01/27/2012

which proves my point 'History belongs to the victors'. Having interacted with Indian tribes here, and lived with minorities my entire life, the tale is quite different here.

[candysays]

11:28 AM on 01/27/2012

Seems a lot of folks are surprised at the low level of security.

That is because there is no need for more. The ministers of our government are not the distant super rich or the imperial presidency. We are a social democracy. There isn't a huge chasm nor the excessive US conflict between people and their elected officials and branches of government.

[MikeWebster]

01:59 AM on 02/02/2012

Ooh - is that Moomintroll?

In any case, I was just about to say, that at least in Sweden, they have had to change their low security fairly recently because of assasinations.

Certainly the lack of security is better, but it does carry a risk, even in Australia.

[candysays]

09:23 PM on 02/02/2012

It is a distant relation. It is a chibi Totoro (littletroll)

http://www.onlineghibli.com/totoro/char.php

[Macready]

11:04 AM on 01/27/2012

from the clip on Channel 4 News last night . . it seems as though her security team overreacted in bundling her out of there . . . and she lost her shoe

[MikeWebster]

02:00 AM on 02/02/2012

You're probably right. I would have just got the police to throw the opposition leader to the mob, and got on with my speech.

[Macready]

05:18 AM on 02/02/2012

I would have throw gillard to the mob too

[rabit818]

08:57 AM on 01/27/2012

Based on the video, the security for the Australian PM seems weak. Doesn't AUS version of the Secret Service foresee this scenario (any). It appears the security does not have an exit strategy for the PM.

[GSR]

02:13 PM on 01/27/2012

We don't think about that stuff. No need really.

[jenkait]

03:45 PM on 01/28/2012

I'm Canadian and I'm always saying this sort to thing too :)

[MikeWebster]

02:01 AM on 02/02/2012

Even if the protesters had got into the Prime Ministers presence, there is almost no chance they would have done anything more violent than yelling and chanting a bit.

[rabit818]

09:32 AM on 02/02/2012

Times are a-changin' my friend . It only takes one loon to cause major damage.

[Omega44]

07:07 AM on 01/27/2012

The aussie security forces seem so weak and ill prepared to handle a relatively minor security issue. They almost seem like little first graders. Scared and with face confirming "what do I do".

[GSR]

05:02 PM on 01/27/2012

They don't get much practise. Australia's a reasonably peaceful joint.

[MikeWebster]

02:04 AM on 02/02/2012

They looked pretty competent to me. On the other hand, the majority would have just been ordinary beat police, and the security would have consisted of one or two individuals.

But if you want to compare Australia's prime ministerial security record against America's, go ahead. We did lose one in the ocean once.

[Aussiepride]

04:00 AM on 01/27/2012

Being a proud australian.Yesterdays behaviour by all was pretty awful.But Here's the difference between australia and alot of the rest of the world.We have 1 political assination in our history.I have met and talked to several prime ministers in my life.We don't have crazy security with armed guards the moment our pollies step out of their houses.For the most part peaceful protests are how the australian people air their views.For 40 years the aboriginal tent embassy has existed.Imagine if they tried to do that in washington.40 years ago.They would have been moved on .Australia has it's faults as all countrys do but ask any american where they want to holiday.Ask them what they think of australians they have met .Ask them what they think of a country that doesn't have a gun pointed at them if they want to protest an injusdice.And then put it all into a big basket and realise that australia has freedoms that just don't exist in the usa.So forget the soundbites and the troublemakers making racist comments in the posts below and realise that what happened to the pm and the opposition leader yesterday is a huge exception rather than the rule.Embarressing for aussies .But I would rather have a pm that is approachable than a president who is under seige by the secret service the moment they apply for office.

[LogicalMathMan]

12:43 PM on 01/27/2012

'but ask any american where they want to holiday.' Shoulda inserted the word 'White' in there.

I have yet to meet a non-White American who is gung -o over your country, which only last year had racial tensions brewing with brown-skinned people, primarily Indians. Last month, one of your idols, Margaret Court, boasted that she was vehemently opposed to same-sex unions and Ms. Gillard, an avowed athiest, came out in support of Court. Gillard might have done it because it is popular, but sometimes, one must show the courage of one's convictions, especially if one is a lesbian.

[GSR]

02:17 PM on 01/27/2012

Yes, pathetic response from Gillard re marriage.

[Aussiepride]

03:42 PM on 01/27/2012

Did I not say we had our problems.And I have met many Non white americans who would love to visit australia ,I suggest before you make broad based suggestions such as that that you watch a documentary called Once upon a time in cabramatta .The start of the multiculturalism in australia..Focusing on an issue such as samesex unions you will find that in polls most australians Have no problem with it.Love is Love .Regardless of the sex of a person..We have a fantastic and vibrant Sydney gay and lesbian mardi gra once a year that brings folks from around the world to our shores.A million people line the streets to watch the celebration.Me thinks you have not visited australia yet and are one to focus on the negative rather than the positives.Oh and by the way when Oprah came out last year she loved the place .And recommended americans come and visit and presuming she didn't just mean the white folks.When i was a kid and the white australia policy was coming to an end most of my friends are were white.Not because I was racist.But because that was all there was at my school except for a couple of aboriginals and some italians.My children on the other hand have mostly ethnically diverse friends.And that is a reflection of the countries move to multiculterlism during the 80's and 90's and beyond.

[MIKEinNYC]

10:35 PM on 01/26/2012

A lovely couple.

[jenkait]

04:04 PM on 01/28/2012

That picture made me laugh! It's so...CUTE. I was trying to picture Obama or Stephen Harper (I'm Canadian) posed like that with their bodyguard and I laughed even harder... I love it...

[MikeWebster]

02:26 AM on 02/02/2012

There actually has been a mockup of this picture using the Bodyguard movie theme - ie. Kevin Costner and Whitney Housten style.

[lenguss]

09:41 PM on 01/26/2012

Too bad Australia has a Gillard when it needs a Thatcher.

[Its All About the Money]

11:32 PM on 01/26/2012

No!

[Melburnian]

06:30 AM on 01/27/2012

Ya reckon?

[lenguss]

12:17 PM on 01/27/2012

Yup.

[Bernique]

09:21 PM on 01/26/2012

I hear from my Australian sources is that the native-born and other natives are pretty p*ssed off at the state of affairs in Australia. Main beef being that --in a very large piece of land-- Australians can't afford housing, especially rental housing! Real estate transactions are at their peak, and everyone knows their property prices are going to go down.

Poor Julia, she should have stayed home instead of going to that Davos meeting.

[GSR]

09:35 PM on 01/26/2012

Australia is the most urbanised country on earth. Millions want to live here and that is driving up housing prices. Banks are regulated in Australia so low or no equity housing loans don't exist and therefore underwater motgages are almost non existant. Australia has the highest rate of growth in the OECD for 2012 so that doesn't help either.
I hope the prices stagnate but cashed-up immigrants are presently driving the market in my street.

[LogicalMathMan]

12:54 PM on 01/27/2012

Seriously? Several points in your post need clarification:
1) Australia's population is about 23million, which is more manageable than the US' 315 million, 2) Urbanization is more about urban sprawl around Australia's 8 major cities, with very few living in the heartland, which is all desert, 3) Since 2006, Australia has permitted 5 million immigrants, of which 1.6 million came from the UK and New Zealand, followed by Italians at a low 220,000. The rest of the immigrants number less than 180,000 per country.

With only 24% of Australians actually born there, it seems rather reprehensible that your nation of predominantly White people profess such bigotry to people of color and that's not including the hapless Aborigines.

[MikeWebster]

02:28 AM on 02/02/2012

Actually, I think many indigenous Australians get public housing.

It is true, that some of Australia's city's are now vastly overpriced.

[kve]

08:30 PM on 01/26/2012

Okay, from the angle of this photo, how close are the protestors?

[aFtersootdamP]

06:59 PM on 01/26/2012

aborigines came to Australia just like anybody else. They ruined the environment and killed off a lot of the truly indigineous plants and animals.

[papapj]

07:22 PM on 01/26/2012

...And Europeans bought along cane toads, among other things....

[NotEvenAmerican]

08:17 PM on 01/26/2012

How do you think that a nomadic people caused a ruin of the environment? As for Aboriginals settling.... They were there for 10k years... An odd comment... Would you care to cite a source?

[Seppowatcher]

10:16 PM on 01/26/2012

By hunting the mega fauna to extinction. And the practise of using fire to burn huge areas of land to encourage new growth in grasses to encourage smaller game animals into discrete hunting areas.

Given that it is well recognised that Africa was the cradle of humanity, the Aboriginals did move into and colonise Australia, at least 50k years ago (there have been skeletons uncovered in Lake Mungo in southern Australia dated at between 50k and 60k years old)..

[MikeWebster]

02:34 AM on 02/02/2012

More like 60-80K years. They certainly were here almost unbelievably early.