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Thursday February 23, 2012

What we're talking about

'The referendum died today'

Posted by: 3AW Radio | 26 January, 2012 - 3:48 PM
Julia Gillard

SHOCKING: Aboriginal Tent Embassy protesters marched on Parliament shortly after 2:30pm on Friday, with reporters on the scene capturing the burning of an Australian flag.

In the 3AW studio, Derryn Hinch watched in shock as images of the flag-burning came through, before tweeting: "Yesterday they threatened the PM and trashed Australia Day. Today they burned the flag. The referendum died today."

Our Canberra reporter, Michael Pachi, said he spoke to the 15-year-old Aboriginal girl who allegedly set the Australian flag alight.

She told him the reason she burned the Australian flag was because her grandmother was raped by white men.

Angry feedback was sent to 3AW's Twitter site immediately after we redistributed images posted by reporters on the scene.

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.



YOUR TWEETS TO US:

Jenny Garland @demongrrl51
@3AW693 Disgraceful! Can you imagine the outrage if a white protest group did that to an Aboriginal flag?

Scott Barker @scoza05
@3AW693 They should be kicked out of the country. Swines! #unaustralian

Adam Renye @AdamRenye87
@3AW693 that's just wrong. They should be arrested for that.

Geremy Spagdagdioli @smili72
@3AW693 burning the Australian flag is a criminal act and the full weight of the law should befall those responsible.

Brooke @chooka81
@3AW693 Could you imagine the uproar if a bunch of white people gathered & burned an aboriginal flag? Racism works both ways. #tentembassy

Brooke @chooka81
@3AW693 Talk about inciting violence!Those aboriginal persons don't want reconciliation they're only hurting their cause with white persons. Maybe we should burn the aboriginal flag in response, oh no we can't do that,That'll be deemed racist

Dave Higgins @Higgo74
How to garner zero respect for your cause. @3AW693

Breban @DBreban
@3AW693 yeah....the apology and reconciliation programs and laws have worked wonderfully.


3AW NEWS (3pm): Julia Gillard says she's not aware of reports a member of her staff called Aboriginal protesters on Thursday and told them Tony Abbott had wanted the Tent Embassy shut down.

It's understood members of Ms Gillard's office are checking phone records after the allegations were made public.

Tony Abbott says Aboriginal people should move on from the "politics" of the Tent Embassy but did not call for the makeshift mission to be closed.

Ms Gillard is playing down claims that members of her staff helped tipped off the protesters.

Meanwhile, those behind yesterday's violent protest targeting the Prime Minister and Mr Abbott now admit they misheard the comments from the Opposition leader which sparked the confrontation.

The protesters descended on a Canberra restaurant believing Mr Abbott had called for an end to the Tent Embassy.

Protester and Tent Embassy co-founder, Michael Anderson, is accusing police of over-reacting but he's admitted to Neil Mitchell the protesters had misinterpreted Mr Abbott's comments.


3AW NEWS (12pm): Tony Abbott has paid tribute to the Prime Minister and her security staff, after yesterday's violent protest in Canberra.

Around 200 people started banging on the glass walls of a restaurant, where the Prime Minister and Opposition leader were honouring Emergency Services Personnel.

They claimed to be angry at Mr Abbott's remarks earlier in the day, which they said suggested the Canberra tent Embassy should be removed.

Mr Abbott says his comments were taken out of context.

Meanwhile, organisers of Thursday's violent protest at the Prime Minister and Mr Abbott are defending their actions claiming police and security officers over-reacted.


3AW NEWS (7am): Indigenous protesters are defending their decision to storm a function, hosted by the Prime Minister and Tony Abbott, but regret taking Julia Gillard's shoe.

The Prime Minister and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott were trapped inside a restaurant for 20 minutes.

Police managed to pull the pair out of the venue after an ugly scuffle in which Ms Gillard lost her shoe while running to her car.

Indigenous activists were protesting against comments by Mr Abbott that it was probably time for Aboriginals to move on from the issues surrounding their tent embassy in Canberra.

Protester Sean Gordon says many believed those comments were offensive.

The First Nations Parliament protest group says it wants to return Ms Gillard's shoe as a sign of good faith.

Julia Gillard dragged away from protest. Photos: Alex Ellinghausen

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PLAY: Michael Anderson speaks to Neil Mitchell

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Blog comments Your Say

  • THE TRUTH STANDS FOREVER! white Australia, you are all immigrants in another mans lands
    Rejects from Britain it will take much more for you to understand
    your media acts as judge & jury
    But only our hearts can tell the real true story.
    History repeats & you can alter the outcome
    By embracing the truth only then can we truly live together as one.

    Karen Tuesday 31 January, 2012 - 10:14 AM

  • come to Kwinana where I live with aboriginals ,subsidised housing? you have no idea .
    A five bedroom house belonging to us the taxpayer across the road to me was completely gutted in five months ,it was completely revamped and the same happened again in weeks,
    A teen aboriginal we know had 1000 dollars paid for painting classes at tafe,for stress,she did not attend one class,I feel stressed also paying tax for a social experiment.

    sharon Monday 30 January, 2012 - 11:27 PM

  • Just think of all the Lawyers rubbing their hands with glee in anticipation of all the law suits resultant from any changes to the law due to a successful referendum. And guess who would be paying??

    David T. Monday 30 January, 2012 - 4:56 PM

  • @ dave Saturday 28 January, 2012 - 10:44 AM

    Enough of the hyperbole Dave. Aboriginals receive from Centrelink exactly the same benefits as white recipients. Not a penny more, not a penny less.

    Poor white people also have equal access to all the other benefits that you attribute to Aboriginals only. And there are a lot more white recipients of welfare than there are black.

    Lift ya game Dave.

    Outback Whitey Monday 30 January, 2012 - 4:01 PM

  • This mob were used by Gillard and in the process put the whole movement back 50 years.
    If you are going to have a presence there, make sure it is run by people with enough skills to keep the mob under control and not go off half cocked. Might be time to serously consider packing up and moving to a 'proper' shop front or office and conduct you 'business' from there. Loose the 'angry crowd' approach and all the deadwood hangers on and move foreward.

    Derek Monday 30 January, 2012 - 2:16 PM

  • No wonder we dont respect these aboriginals. Spit and burn our flag hey. Without us, you would be extinct by know. Remember, it was your ancestors who came here, not YOU, most of you are half casts anyway so don't pull the racial card. Our ancestors went to war and fought under this flag that you now spit on. You are nothing but filthy, dirty people. Pull down there tents and ship them out NOW.

    Peter from the Valley Monday 30 January, 2012 - 1:25 PM

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