PROTESTERS who left the Aboriginal Tent Embassy to descend on Canberra's Parliament House have set fire to an Australian flag.
Led by a man with a megaphone, the crowd is chanting: "Who owned the land? We did. Who stole the land? They did. What do we want? Sovereignty. When do we want it? Now. What have we we got? F--k all," as it makes its way towards Commonwealth St.
The protesters walked up to the house with a police escort from the old Parliament House building down the road, before sitting on the forecourt outside the main doors and clapping.
Police formed two lines to stop them from entering the building, but some of the marchers began dancing and chanting before burning an Australian flag.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is standing by the comments that whipped protesters into a frenzy on Australia Day, prompting bodyguards to evacuate him and Prime Minister Julia Gillard from a Canberra restaurant.
He's also been backed by senior indigenous leaders who've slammed protesters for reacting violently to "pretty timid" remarks.
Activists continue to blame Mr Abbott for inciting their protest after he suggested they "move on" from issues that gave birth to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy outside Old Parliament House this day 40 years ago.
Protesters defend their actions: we did nothing wrong
Interpreted as a sign he wanted to tear down the makeshift settlement, an angry crowd of 200 people trapped the prime minister and Mr Abbott in a restaurant, prompting a chaotic escape in which Ms Gillard stumbled and lost a shoe.
Mr Abbott today said some in the protest group had "verballed" him.
"As a result, it stirred people up," he told Macquarie Radio.
He stood by his original comments, saying it wasn't true that indigenous policy had been neglected or the government was indifferent to the plight of Aboriginal people.
"That might have been true 40 years ago. It certainly isn't true today."
Former ALP national president and indigenous leader Warren Mundine said the activists had over-reacted.
"The words were pretty timid," he told ABC Radio, noting Mr Abbott hadn't said anything about shutting down the embassy.
"He echoed words I would have echoed."
This afternoon, protesters at the embassy fronted an emotional press conference to defend their actions yesterday.
Embassy founder Michael Anderson, Selina Davey-Newry of the north-east Kimberley, Wiradjuri Nation spokesperson Paul Coe and former political candidate Barbara Shaw stood in front of a smoking fire with about 3000 fellow protesters around a sovereignty sign at the embassy.
The protesters have insisted that they did nothing wrong yesterday and there was no violence.
Mr Anderson said the group has decided to reclaim their sovereignty over Australia.
"We will take the steps necessary to make that issue and make the government talk to us," Mr Anderson said.
Ms Shaw denied she was tipped off to Tony Abbott's whereabouts nearby by a member of the Prime Minster's office - saying instead it was a "member of the public".
Former NSW Labor premier Bob Carr says the embassy should have been packed up years ago.
"The tent embassy in Canberra says nothing to anyone and should have been quietly packed up years ago," Mr Carr wrote in his online blog on Friday.
"The 'activists' who run it would be better off investing time in youth programs in indigenous communities.
"Every government in Australia is aware of its responsibilities to Aboriginal Australians," he said.
"Prime Minister Gillard is targeted and some clown is shown brandishing her shoe yet she said and did nothing in respect of the tent," he wrote.
The scenes yesterday were dramatic, when distressed and visibly shaken, Prime Minister Julia Gillard was almost brought to the ground after being rushed through a crowd of angry Aboriginal tent embassy and Occupy protesters in Canberra yesterday.
Clinging to her armed bodyguard, she was hurried through the violent mob that had surrounded a restaurant where she and Tony Abbott were attending an awards ceremony.
She was then dramatically thrown in to the back of her car, appearing to graze her head on the door jamb and landing on her back, before the Opposition Leader was bundled in next to her.
Wrapped in the arms of an Australian Federal Police officer, Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott were then whisked away from The Lobby restaurant, where the two had been trapped for half an hour by almost 200 protesters who were yelling and banging on the windows.
Dramatic pictures: Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott rescued from protesters
It was the first time since John Howard wore a bullet-proof vest to a gun rally that a protest had presented a clear and present danger to the safety of the prime minister.
At the start of the fracas, sparked by earlier suggestions from Mr Abbott that after 40 years it was time that the tent embassy was "moved on", an extraordinary exchange was captured by Channel 9 between the PM and her security detail about the escalating situation inside.
"We feel the situation is deteriorating and you can't stay too much longer," one of Ms Gillard's detail told her.
Ms Gillard: "OK, all right. What about Mr Abbott? Where have you got him? We'd better help him through, hadn't we?"
Officer: "Yeah, sure."
Surrounded by 15 to 20 officers with riot shields and with Ms Gillard protected by her bodyguard, the two leaders were rushed out a side door at 2.30pm where they were bundled in to the PM's car.
Ms Gillard stumbled as they ran the gauntlet, leaving behind one of her navy blue shoes. But the protesters refused to give up, chasing Ms Gillard's car down the street and banging on the roof and bonnet as police tried to push them away.
Police later said some guests inside the restaurant had feared for their safety.
The leaders had been at an awards ceremony recognising emergency services personnel when word spread though the tent embassy about 200m away that Mr Abbott was at the restaurant. Within minutes the protesters had surrounded the building.
The crowd rushed the restaurant and began to turn on the Prime Minister as well.
They banged on the restaurant's windows, chanting "always was, always will be Aboriginal land" while some yelled "shame" and "racist".
A stoic Ms Gillard emerged at The Lodge after the incident, saying she was unhurt.
"I'm made from pretty tough stuff and the police did a great job," she said.
Sergeant Chris Meagher, from ACT Policing, said police liaised with Ms Gillard's personal protection team to save her dignity and look after her safety and welfare but there were no arrests "and there are unlikely to be".
The protesters were last night seeking legal advice as to whether Mr Abbott had incited a riot with his comments.
Mr Abbott later said the protesters had done nothing to advance their cause.
The protester today who found Ms Gillard's shoe after she lost it yesterday said she would give back if the Prime Minister comes to collect it.
Ms Gillard is in Flowerdale, Victoria, this morning and will attend another presentation of National Emergency Medals like the ones she was handing out yesterday when the protesters surrounded the restaurant.
A spokeswoman declined to comment on whether the PM would collect her shoe.
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