Bob Carr is clearly more forthright with his opinion on the matter.
Thoughtlines with Bob Carr
from the ground
Quote:
I was there and I would make the following remarks.
A lot has been written in the press about the Prime Minister’s security scare yesterday, all of it overlooks the racial animus that Aboriginal leaders had whipped up at speeches delivered in front of the Tent Embassy in the lead up to the riot. Addressing the rally outside the Tent Embassy, speakers were uncompromising and irresponsible in the rhetoric they deployed against Australia’s democratically elected government and even white Australians. The worst instincts of the crowd were appealed to by all manner of racially inflammatory language directed against white Australia, language which stressed the importance of Aboriginal blood and denigrated Australians of European ancestry. The fevered rants stopped just short of calling for violence, with one speaker noting that, “he didn’t want a revolution, because too many people would get killed”. It is impossible to argue that the hate, and there is no other word, being preached at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy played no role in inciting the mob to rush the restaurant where the Prime Minister was dining. In fairness to the press, the media appeared not to be present at these speeches.
Suggestions that Tony Abbott’s remarks earlier in the day were responsible for the riotous behaviour did not appear to be evident in the behaviour of the crowd attempting to storm the restaurant, who were actually calling for the Prime Minister to come out and address them. In any event, Abbott’s remarks pale in comparison to the racial animosity generated by speakers addressing the Tent Embassy. Responsibility for inciting the riot rests in large measure with these individuals. Claims that Abbott caused the disturbance appear to be convenient ex-post rationalisations that completely ignore the tenor of the speakers addressing the Aboriginal rally that day.
Throughout the riot, the conduct of police was outstanding. During the incident they were forced to endure a constant torrent of verbal abuse including slurs of “Nazis”, “racists”, “white boy”, and claims that “you are not the law here”. A consistent theme of speakers earlier in the day was that neither Australian law or the Australian nation had any legitimacy. The courage and professionalism of the police in the face of threats of violence and a hurricane of vilification was impressive and a credit to their ranks. The decision to go ahead with the lunch at the Lobby restaurant in light of the febrile nature of the protests taking place next door was an unbelievably poor one.
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Sounds like a group whipped up by words with racial undertones then in prime position to deliberately misinterpret his words.
further refutation of some of the media reports about the protesters targeting Abbott alone:
Shame Gillard Shame.mpg - YouTube