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Thursday February 23, 2012

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"There goes Australia Day"

Posted by: Derryn Hinch | 27 January, 2012 - 4:22 PM
Protesters spat on and then burned the flag (Andrew Meares)

The life of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was endangered in a bitter race riot which marred that country's national day today.

Security agents also had to rescue the Alternative Prime Minister Tony Abbott from a shouting, surging mob of native Aborigines and their supporters in the Australian capital city of Canberra.

Ms Gillard tripped and lost a shoe as agents dragged her to safety.

*Scroll down to watch Derryn Hinch's editorial on the drama in Canberra*

That is a slight exaggeration of what happened on Australia Day 2012, but that is the  image presented to the world along with photos of a terrified Prime Minister being manhandled to her car and apparently bumping her head  as she was urgently pushed inside to safety. Abbott followed seconds later.

At home our own newspapers carried headlines like Australia Day Shame and  graphic photos of our Prime Minister nearly prostrate and held almost in a desperate headlock as she is supported and dragged to safety.

It was a day of shame. As I said on Twitter at the time: 'No matter what the cause. No matter how noble. That is a disgrace'.  And it was.

But what can you expect when one of the founders of the so-called Aboriginal tent embassy, Michael Anderson said yesterday; "To hell with the governments and the courts."

The same Government that, under Kevin Rudd, formally apologised to the stolen generation. The same courts that recognised native title with the Mabo decision.

One elderly activist Pat Eatock, who ended up with Ms Gillard's shoe, said they would sell it on eBay. And she accused the Prime Minister and Tony Abbott of 'provocation' for staging an Australia Day ceremony close to the tent embassy.

Ignore the fact that the protesters bashed on the windows and hollered and tried to disrupt an award ceremony honouring emergency workers who save lives and property for all Australians of all colours and creeds in times of pestilence, of fire and flood.

The protesters were yesterday's pestilence. Among the things that emerge from the turmoil was a moment of class from Julia Gillard who is often accused of not being prime ministerial.

She showed calmness and authority and genuine concern for her political enemy Tony Abbott as soon as a member of her security team whispered in her ear:

"We feel the situation is deteriorating and we can't stay too much longer."

Her instant, calm reaction: "OK. Alright. What about Mr Abbott. Where have you got him? We'd better help him through too, hadn't we?"

It showed strength and genuine compassion under pressure. Something not often seen in the Public Julia Gillard.

The other thing is that the whole protest was based on a Chinese rumour that has people blaming Abbott for sparking the riot.

He did not advocate the removal of the tent embassy on its 40th anniversary.

Earlier in the day, in Sydney, a reporter asked him: "Mr Abbott is the tent embassy still relevant or should it move?"

In his lengthy answer Abbott said: "Look I can understand why the tent embassy was established all those years ago." He mentioned the apology, the current plans to amend the Constitution, respect for Aboriginal people and finished by saying about the embassy: "I think a lot has changed since then and I think it probably is time to move on." A fair and rational comment.

But there was nothing fair or rational about what happened in Canberra yesterday. The only memory going forward from Australia Day 2012 is that of the Prime Minister of this country, her physical self and the office itself being trashed and threatened by a motley crew who did their cause no good at all.

As I said on Twitter just after the story broke and the first dramatic photos appeared: There goes Australia Day.

RELATED AUDIO:

PLAY: The protester, a 15-year-old girl, who burned the flag on Friday explains to 3AW reporter Michael Pachi why she did it (3:30pm)

PLAY: Opposition Leader Tony Abbott with Neil Mitchell on Friday

PLAY: Aboriginal caller Samantha reckons it is time indigenous people move on and accept what happened in the past

PLAY: Canberra reporter Michael Pachi details the protest

RELATED LINK:

The National Emergency Medal recipients, whose big day was disrupted

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IMAGE: Fairfax's Andrew Meares captures the flag-burning.

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IMAGES: Latika Bourke (ABC) posted the above 2 images on Twitter.

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IMAGES: Julia Gillard dragged away on Australia Day (Alex Ellinghausen)

PLAY: Derryn Hinch speaks to a journalist and a photographer

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'The referendum died today'

Julia Gillard LATEST: Julia Gillard says she's not aware of reports a member of her staff called Aboriginal protesters and told them Tony Abbott had wanted the Tent Embassy shut down as protesters march on Parliament. Read, hear and view more by clicking the image on the right.

Blog comments Your Say

  • If you don't like the awesome country then leave !

    Daniel Wednesday 8 February, 2012 - 6:47 PM

  • Gillard and the staff knuckleheads in her office would have had full knowledge about this disgraceful riot - it obviously having been planned and executed from her office. Doubtless, we might hear a little more from the staffer/protaganist, Mr Tony Hodges when Gillard is booted.

    Jonathon L Saturday 4 February, 2012 - 10:23 AM

  • why should they have anything different to anyone one else it is 2012 and ever one should be equal they get way to much now we are 1 country so get on with your life you get more than what you should any way go back and live in the bush and eat grubs if you dont like it

    mjd boys Wednesday 1 February, 2012 - 10:01 PM

  • Disgraceful behaviour, it's time these people moved on from this victim mentality, they arrived here from somewhere else too, there is not a country on earth that has not had a series of different peoples arriving in their land e.g.: U.K. 1st inhabitants know were the Picts, the, then the Celts arrived, then the Romans, then Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Vikings, Normans, get over it I am sick to death of the whinging. We have all been bending over backwards to try and please these people thrown mountains of money at them to no avail, they seem to enjoy being the â??woe is meâ?? agenda

    Jan Wednesday 1 February, 2012 - 11:14 AM

  • The expert UK spin doctor seems to have misunderstood how Australians view our flag, respect for our Government leaders, honesty and what a 'fair-go' is all about.
    Methinks it could (and I mean could) be a means of making Tony Abbott look really bad and our Prime Minister really good.

    Sandra Monday 30 January, 2012 - 12:30 PM

  • I am going to burn an Aboriginal flag today in protest of the burning of my flag. I do not think it will offend because what they did is considered perfectly acceptable in thier eyes.

    Danny Monday 30 January, 2012 - 12:12 PM

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