An angry mob of protesters swarmed Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbot on Thursday, trapping them inside a restaurant for around a half an hour before police escorted them out.

As she left, Gillard stumbled and lost a shoe, but she was not harmed in the incident and was taken safely out of The Lobby restaurant in Canberra, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Approximately 200 supporters from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy surrounding the building.

The two were in Canberra to celebrate Australia Day, while Aboriginals gathered for the 40th annual Corroborree for Sovereignty to mark the establishment of their embassy, not far from the restaurant.

Tensions between the Aboriginal group and the government escalated after Abbot made comments that were believed to be racist and insensitive, according to the Herald. Reports say they may have been angered when he said it was “probably time to move on” from the tent embassy, as Australia is slated to make changes to the constitution in recognizing indigenous peoples.

Protesters moved toward the restaurant and yelled: “Shame, Tony Abbott, shame,” and banged on the establishment’s windows, according to The Australian. They added, “Always will be, always has been Aboriginal land.”

The tent embassy was set up in 1972 by four Aboriginal activists to protest over land rights.

Fred Hooper, a protester with the tent embassy, told the Herald that Abbot “on national television made a comment to tear down something that have built over 40 years, which is sacred to us.”

He asked, “So what do you expect us to do when we’re 200 yards away from the person that makes that comment?”