Angry protestors set Australian Parliament on fire

Protesters set fire to Australia's historic parliament building in Canberra on Thursday during a march for Aboriginal autonomy, police said. The fire, which burned the Old Parliament House's front doors before being handled and caused no injuries.

It comes after a fortnight of protest action at the location, according to police. In Australia, large-scale protest violence is uncommon, but flare-ups have become more regular during the pandemic.

Observers stated several of the demonstrators identified themselves as members of anti-government and "sovereign citizen" groups.

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"This is not how Australia operates," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said of the violence.

"I am outraged and appalled by the behaviour of Australians who would come to my country and set fire to such a monument of democracy," he said.

When the fire broke out on Thursday, workers inside the heritage building were promptly evacuated. The Museum of Australian Democracy, the current occupants of the property, closed its doors on December 20 after indigenous protesters staged a "peaceful sit-in."

The museum stated that it respected protesters' right to peaceful assembly. It has yet to respond to the protest on Thursday.

Indigenous activists have been organising protests on the former parliament's front lawns in the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.

The tent embassy was a protest camp that sparked a national conversation on indigenous land rights. Since 1992, it has been a permanent feature on the lawns in front of Old Parliament House, however it is not usually used.

Police in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) claimed activity at the site has increased in recent weeks.

In 1988, Australia's parliament relocated to a new structure on Capital Hill, however the Old Parliament House has been preserved as a museum and national heritage monument.

On Thursday, government politicians decried the attack, with several calling it a "attack on democracy."

"Setting fire to a structure is not a valid protest; it is a crime, and it is a terrible criminal," said Barnaby Joyce, the deputy prime minister.

Michael McCormack, his predecessor and current MP, said: "Protesters yell, "Let it burn! Let it burn!" as the old Parliament House burns. What a disgrace. An heinous assault on our democracy, history, and sovereignty. This current proclivity for demolishing our past serves no useful purpose."

The ACT Police Department announced that an inquiry into the cause of the incident has begun.