Australia Day 2012: PM Attacked by Aboriginal Activists (VIDEO)
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott were attacked by Aboriginal protesters on Australia Day.
In the video below, the dramatic footage shows Gillard and Abbott both being forcibly escorted into a waiting vehicle by heavy security after what started out as a peaceful protest quickly became aggressive and violent.
Both leaders, who had just left an Australia Day medals presentation, were faced with violent protesters who hurled verbal abuse as the pair left a Canberra restaurant, according to the Herald Sun.
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"Shame Tony Abbott shame," can be heard coming from protesters, as well as "you're racist!"
It is believed that the protesters had become enraged with fury earlier in the day after Abbott said that Aboriginals should "move on" from the Aboriginal tent embassy located in Canberra.
The tent, which many say acknowledges Australian Aboriginal political rights, is highly regarded in the Aboriginal community.
Hours after Abbott's remarks, what started out as a group of peaceful protesters trying to make a statement on Australia day quickly became a violent and angry mob of approximately 200, which police were forced to control.
Protesters pushed and shoved as Gillard and Abbott were whisked away, and the violence caused the PM to lose a shoe as she was pushed into a vehicle.
"The only thing that angers me is that it distracted from such a wonderful event with great people from emergency services. I am made of pretty tough stuff and the police did a great job," Gillard said later that night while hosting ambassadors at the Lodge.
Australia Day is a national holiday, which commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and is a proclamation of British sovereignty.
It is often referred to as "Invasion Day" or "Survival Day" by critics, many of which are Aboriginal Australians who regularly opt to protest land rights as opposed to celebrating the annual holiday.
"I'm sorry that [Gillard] got caught in the cross fire. We didn't cause her to fall, the police in pushing her down the steps caused her to fall," protest leader Michael Anderson told Channel 7 News.
"I'm just sorry that Tony Abbott came along everybody saw him in there and then they started slamming their hands on the wall ... saying 'shame Tony Abbott shame'," he added.
Abbott has not yet addressed his controversial remarks about the Aboriginal tent embassy.
