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| Julia Gillard 'rescued' amid Australia Day protests | Julia Gillard 'rescued' amid Australia Day protests |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Australian PM Julia Gillard and leader of the opposition Tony Abbott had to be rescued after becoming trapped by an angry protest, local media reports. | Australian PM Julia Gillard and leader of the opposition Tony Abbott had to be rescued after becoming trapped by an angry protest, local media reports. |
| About 50 police escorted the pair from Canberra's Lobby restaurant after it was surrounded by some 200 supporters of the city's Aboriginal Tent Embassy. | About 50 police escorted the pair from Canberra's Lobby restaurant after it was surrounded by some 200 supporters of the city's Aboriginal Tent Embassy. |
| Mr Abbott had reportedly angered them by suggesting it was time for the camp - marking its 40th year - to come down. | Mr Abbott had reportedly angered them by suggesting it was time for the camp - marking its 40th year - to come down. |
| The pair had been at a ceremony for the inaugural National Emergency Medals. | The pair had been at a ceremony for the inaugural National Emergency Medals. |
| The honours - presented as the country marked Australia Day - were introduced to recognise those who served their communities during events such as the 2009 bushfires in Victoria and the floods in Queensland in 2010 and 2011. | The honours - presented as the country marked Australia Day - were introduced to recognise those who served their communities during events such as the 2009 bushfires in Victoria and the floods in Queensland in 2010 and 2011. |
| But Australia's newspapers reported that riot police were called to the restaurant at about 14:30 local time as protesters gathered outside, with people banging on the glass yelling "shame" and "racist". | But Australia's newspapers reported that riot police were called to the restaurant at about 14:30 local time as protesters gathered outside, with people banging on the glass yelling "shame" and "racist". |
| Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott were reportedly forced to wait 20 minutes before police escorted them through a side door. | |
| According to the BBC's Duncan Kennedy, chaos ensued as a bodyguard grabbed Ms Gillard by the shoulders and shoved her into a waiting car. | |
| The prime minister appeared to have stumbled in the process and was missing a shoe. Protesters continued to bang on the car's roof and the bonnet as it sped off. | |
| Supporters had gathered for a three-day Corroborree for Sovereignty to mark the 40th anniversary of the tent embassy. | |
| Media reports suggested some had been angered by Mr Abbott's suggestion in a TV interview that it was "time to move on" from the camp in light of current plans to recognise indigenous people in the country's constitution. | Media reports suggested some had been angered by Mr Abbott's suggestion in a TV interview that it was "time to move on" from the camp in light of current plans to recognise indigenous people in the country's constitution. |
| The tent embassy was established in 1972 by four men as a protest against the prime minister of the time's refusal to acknowledge indigenous land rights. | The tent embassy was established in 1972 by four men as a protest against the prime minister of the time's refusal to acknowledge indigenous land rights. |