Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard Dragged Away From Angry Protesters.

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Julia Gillard clung to her bodyguard as she was dragged off her feet away from a crowd of angry protesters in Canberra today. In extraordinary scenes, riot police were called in and formed a shield around the prime minister as she made a hasty escape outside a citizenship ceremony. PHOTOS: Gillard dragged from angry mobDramatic footage showed the flustered PM losing her shoe as her security escort ran a gauntlet through about 200 protesters from The Lobby restaurant near Old Parliament House — where Gillard had been handing out medals to emergency services representatives — to her car waiting outside. The group had trapped Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott inside the restaurant until dozens of extra police, including the riot squad, were called to the scene shortly after 2.30pm (AEDT). Protesters had been taking part in an event to mark the 40th anniversary of the nearby Aboriginal Tent Embassy when they surrounded The Lobby restaurant and banged on the three glass sides, chanting "shame" and "racist".The two leaders, protected by police and security officers, escaped out a side door after about 20 minutes.Protesters chased their car down the road, banging on its roof and bonnet.The embassy was celebrating a 40-year milestone with a three-day "Corroboree for Sovereignty" with thousands of indigenous Australians travelling to Canberra for the occasion.Tensions boiled over following comments Mr Abbott made in Sydney earlier in the day.Mr Abbott said he understood why the tent embassy was set up "all those years ago"."I think a lot has changed for the better since then," he told reporters."I think the indigenous people of Australia can be very proud of the respect in which they are held by every Australian."I think a lot has changed since then, and I think it probably is time to move on from that."For many Aboriginal people Australia Day is considered Invasion Day.Earlier on Wednesday afternoon embassy founder Michael Anderson addressed a rally at the site."To hell with the government and the courts in this country. You haven't got a high hope to take us on," he said."We will force these issues."Too many of our families have suffered for some bastard to get in the road."There were false reports Ms Gillard had been tackled by protesters as she was escorted to her commonwealth car.A spokesman for the prime minister said Ms Gillard slipped as she was leaving the building.Activists from the tent embassy accused Mr Abbott of inciting racial riots with his earlier comments.Michael Anderson said the comments were disrespectful."He said the Aboriginal embassy had to go, we heard it on a radio broadcast," he told AAP."We thought no way, so we circled around the building."He said the protesters wanted the leaders to clarify their position and whether Mr Abbott was serious about removing the embassy."You've got 1000 people here peacefully protesting and to make a statement about tearing down the embassy - it's just madness on the part of Tony Abbott," Mr Anderson said."What he said amounts to inciting racial riots."

Time Magazine's "Person of the Year:" Arab Spring Protesters, No Really !!!

NEW YORK (The Blaze/AP) — “The Protester” has been named Time’s “Person of the Year” for 2011.

The selection was announced Wednesday on NBC’s “Today” show.

The magazine cited dissent across the Middle East that has spread to Europe and the United States, and says these protesters are reshaping global politics.

“From the Arab Spring to Athens, from Occupy Wall Street to Athens,” the cover says.

Last year, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg got the honor.

Time’s “Person of the Year” is the person or thing that has most influenced the culture and the news during the past year for good or for ill. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke received the honor in 2009. The 2008 winner was then-President-elect Barack Obama. Other previous winners have included Bono, President George W. Bush, and Amazon.com CEO and founder Jeff Bezos.

Time said it is recognizing protesters because they are “redefining people power” around the world. On its website, it even includes profiles of protesters, including multiple Occupy Wall Street occupiers.

However, it does seem odd that the magazine would honor such a “person.” Consider that thousands have been arrested in the Occupy movement, Arab Spring protesters in Egypt haveraped several female journalists, UK youths screamed “Off with their heads!” at Prince Charles, and Greek rioters have been filmed firebombing police.

Herman Cain Heckled By OWS Protesters

CBS:

Though he assured the dean of Middle Tennessee State University that there would be no politics during his visit, Herman Cain called it “tempting” to respond to a handful of protesters who interrupted his lecture here Thursday night.

As Cain was recounting his climb up the Pillsbury company’s corporate ladder to a full lecture hall of about 300 students, someone shouted, “Mic check!” setting off a minute’s worth of shouting from the audience. “We are the 99 percent!” several representing Occupy Wall Street chanted; “Sexual abuse is unacceptable!” one student hollered.

In counter-protest, several students yelled at the protesters to leave; one said, “We actually want to hear him, now get out!” Shortly afterwards, the protesters did.

Cain was silent through the episode, with the exception of asking once, “Are y’all done?” When the hecklers had left, Cain made one comment before moving on with his speech.

“I committed to the dean that I’m not going to address any political issues today,” he said. “But do you know how tempting that is? Not gonna do it, dean, not gonna do it! Now I think I was on my way to becoming president of something,” he said to laughs.

But later in the speech, Cain revisited the issue and implied that the protesters were “abusing” their right to free speech.

“Don’t be embarrassed that those young people wanted to stand up and talk about that they’re part of the 99 percent,” he said. “We have freedom of speech, some people simply abuse it.”
Shortly after, he continued, “That’s fine, I didn’t get rattled. You know, All I – the way to attribute it was, they wanted to disrupt my part because they couldn’t attract anyone to comelisten to them talk!”

Event organizers said Cain had committed to speak almost a year ago, as a former corporate head and successful businessman. Now, Cain is reevaluating a once meteoric presidential campaign following one claim that he carried on a 13-year extramarital affair and several allegations of sexual harassment from his tenure as head of the National Restaurant Association.

In an appearance on Fox News on Thursday night, Cain said he’ll make a decision about whether to continue his campaign before Monday.

“We haven’t worked out the logistics yet,” he said. “The decision could be, we’re going to continue with this campaign full speed ahead. The decision could be that were going to suspend the campaign. That’s why I’m doing the re-assessment.”

Though Cain campaign manager Mark Block assured National Journal earlier this week that Cain dropping out of the race was not an option, Cain has since said the decision lies in the hands of his wife Gloria, whom he will meet Friday in person for the first time since a woman accused him of having an affair with her.

Los Angeles protesters defy eviction efforts, go to court

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Occupy Wall Street protesters who defied a deadline to remove their weeks-old encampment on the Los Angeles City Hall lawn stood their ground Tuesday as they faced uncertainty over when or if police would push them out of the park — and if an eviction could happen without the kind of violence that has engulfed the removal of protest sites in other cities.

Protesters in the nation’s second largest city have turned to the federal courts to keep officers away after disobeying a city-imposed 12:01 a.m. deadline Monday to take down their camp. They argue that the City Council passed a resolution in support of the movement and that the city’s mayor and police did not have the authority to evict them.

The chances that protesters will get an injunction appear slim, constitutional experts say.

Meanwhile, city officials said they will only move in on the camp when conditions are safest not just for protesters and officers but also the roughly 100 homeless people who had joined the encampment.

“There is no concrete deadline,” LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said after hundreds of officers withdrew without moving in on the nearly 2-month-old camp.

The effort should come “with as little drama as possible,” Beck told reporters.

Police and protesters have clashed elsewhere in recent weeks, most notably in Oakland, Calif., as officers cleared away camps that officials say have grown more dangerous for public health and safety.

Marine Corps veteran Scott Olsen, whose skull was fractured during an Oct. 25 clash between police and Occupy Oakland protesters, said in his first interview since being injured that he still has trouble speaking but expects to recover completely.

“I am doing much better than when I look at myself a month ago, which was two days after the attack,” Olsen said in a video interview posted Monday on Indybay.org. “I was not doing good. But now I’m doing a lot better.”

In Olympia, Wash., police used Tasers on three people in a skirmish as a large crowd refused to leave the Capitol building after a day of protests. Earlier, a group shouted down lawmakers during the first day of a 30-day special session over $2 billion in budget cuts. Protest chants favored taxes for the wealthy.

Nine people were arrested in Maine after protesters at an encampment took down their tents and packed their camping gear after being told to get a permit or move their shelters.

Some of the encampments had been in use almost since the movement against economic disparity and perceived corporate greed began with Occupy Wall Street in Manhattan two months ago.

With each passing week, it seems a city moves in to close a camp. Like Los Angeles, Philadelphia officials imposed their own deadline for protesters to move to make way for a construction project.

On Monday, however, the camp was still standing.

In Los Angeles, protesters had prepared for police action Monday since city leaders announced last week that the camp would be cleared. Campers had packed up about half of the nearly 500 tents.

Story Continues →

Egyptian protesters reject military concessions

Mass protests are continuing into the night, as part of a standoff between Egyptian protesters and the military government.

Egypt's ruling generals have said they are prepared to hold a referendum on immediately transferring power to civilian authority if people demand it and have called for presidential election before July 2012.

Tens of thousands of protesters in Tahrir Square rejected the military concessions.

In Alexandria, protesters confronting police faced a heavy barrage of tear gas. The street clashes continued late into the evening

'Occupy' protesters in NY are marching toward City Hall in solidarity with 'Occupy Oakland

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