Australian PM rescued from angry protesters

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard had to be bundled out of a Canberra restaurant by security service agents after it was surrounded by 200 furious Aboriginal rights protesters.

Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott were stranded in The Lobby restaurant as dozens of demonstrators from a protest against Australia Day, marking the arrival of British in 1788, converged on the hotel. The two leaders were dramatically escorted through the crowd by security agents and riot police brandishing shields, and the visibly rattled Gillard tripped and fell during the rush. She made light of the incident, saying she was “made of tough stuff and the police did a great job.”

Gillard had been presenting medals to emergency services workers when the protest erupted.

The demonstrators had reportedly pounded the building’s glass walls, shouting “shame” and “racist”.

They had been attending so-called “Invasion Day” commemorations at the nearby Aboriginal tent embassy, a permanent camp of indigenous activists celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Michael Anderson, founder of the tent embassy, said the group had been angered by remarks Abbott made earlier in the day about the Aboriginal protest no longer being relevant.