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Police storm Canberra tent embassy

Extract from Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC Online, on 5 April 2005

There were clashes at the Aboriginal tent embassy in Canberra last night.

Police went to the embassy to arrest one of its representatives who failed to attend his court case yesterday.

An arrest warrant was issued for Kevin Buzzacott, 58, earlier on Tuesday afternoon after he failed to turn up to the ACT Supreme Court.

Buzzacott is on trial for taking a coat of arms from Old Parliament House three years ago.

Police attempted to negotiate with Buzzacott but he refused to leave the tent embassy, saying he was sick.

After a two-hour stand-off, about 20 police stormed the site and took Buzzacott to a waiting car.

Several police clashed violently with supporters as they tried to take Buzzacott away.

On Tuesday morning the jury heard evidence from an Indigenous elder from the Aboriginal tent embassy.

Neville Williams told the court the emu and the kangaroo represented in the coat of arms are cultural objects, which have been handed down from generation to generation.

He said they are not owned by the Commonwealth, but rather Aboriginal people.

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