No arrests yet over stolen coat of arms
By KATHARYN BRINE
The Canberra Times
ACT police had not arrested any members of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy allegedly responsible for ripping a coat-of-arms crest from a pillar outside the Old Parliament House because investigations were still continuing last night.
Tent embassy members seized the crest on Sunday. It now sits on display on the ground near the embassy's fire. Embassy elder Kevin Buzzacott said there was no intention of returning it.
A spokesman for the Australian Federal Police said he expected ''investigations into the alleged theft'' to be completed last night and for appropriate action to be taken today.
He said that in any investigation police sought to establish the facts of an incident before either serving a summons to attend court or making an arrest. Police had not sought to retrieve the crest as it could become an exhibit in court.
''Like any investigation, we have to make sure it's done properly and correctly,'' he said.
Additional police were called to guard the remaining crests at Old Parliament House yesterday when it appeared embassy members would try to take another from above the entrance.
Tent embassy spokeswoman Waratah told a press conference yesterday that the seizure of the crest was designed to reclaim the emu and kangaroo, considered sacred to the Aboriginal people. She repeated calls to have the animals removed from the national emblem.
''We now claim what is rightfully ours, our culture, our sacred symbols, our spirituality, our right to practise our ancient religion and be governed by our own laws,'' she said. ''When the Commonwealth police came after us, we told them they had no jurisdiction to stop us. We had already claimed our emu and kangaroo under our law.''
She called on Governor-General Peter Hollingworth and parliamentarians to begin discussions at the embassy fire about the ''continuing violation of the laws of this land''.
Embassy elder Mother Wadjularbinna said no further crests would be taken because the Aboriginal people had already made their point.
Mr Buzzacott said, ''Who's the criminal here? The emu and the kangaroo belong to us.'' He invited politicians, rather than police, to talk with them at the embassy.