Former Australian parliament damaged by protesters
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According to officials, Australia's former parliament building caught fire during an aboriginal rights protest on Thursday.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison was "disgusted" and "appalled" by the attack.
Australia's former parliament building caught fire during a protest Thursday, officials said, with the flames causing limited damage.
The fire started when police intervened in a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony held by a small group of activists near the building's entrance.
From 1927 to 1988, the Canberra building housed the country's federal parliament, and it now houses the Museum of Australian Democracy.
The museum said in a statement that it is "closed until further notice while we address fire damage caused by protesters today."
More footage of people watching as a fire consumes the front entrance to Old Parliament House in Canberra. Police and other agencies will have lots of footage to work with as they investigate. pic.twitter.com/xwbhlpB5zM
— Siobhan Heanue (@siobhanheanue) December 30, 2021
There was no immediate word on the extent of the damage, but images showed flames and smoke coming from the building's entrance's wooden double doors.
The vast majority of the structure was unharmed, and the fire was said to have been extinguished quickly.
💣 - CIVIL UNREST:
— Mr. Wolf (@mrwolf2020) December 30, 2021
Current scenes at old parliament house in Canberra, Australia pic.twitter.com/wVvLINSBmX
In a Facebook post, activist Albert Hartnett claimed that police used pepper spray to disperse the protest, causing the roof of a portico to catch fire.
The National Heritage Register-listed building has been the scene of a series of protests by an Aboriginal Tent Embassy in recent weeks.
Past protests included lighting a fire by the building's doors and were said to have been linked to so-called sovereign citizen groups.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was "disgusted" and "appalled" by the attack on a "symbol of democracy."
"People should face the consequence of their actions," he stressed.
