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Sophie Mirabella penned in by protesters at University of Melbourne Sophie Mirabella penned in by protesters at University of Melbourne
(about 20 hours later)
Former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella has been forced to leave the University of Melbourne campus under police escort after she was accosted by protesters demonstrating about cuts to higher education.Former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella has been forced to leave the University of Melbourne campus under police escort after she was accosted by protesters demonstrating about cuts to higher education.
Video footage of the encounter shows Mirabella struggling to retreat from a mob of about 20 students who had descended on a lecture theatre where she was to speak on politics and media.Video footage of the encounter shows Mirabella struggling to retreat from a mob of about 20 students who had descended on a lecture theatre where she was to speak on politics and media.
Police can be seen pulling Mirabella away from the protesters, who had surrounded her and were shouting slogans attacking the Abbott government's cuts to higher education funding announced in last week’s budget.Police can be seen pulling Mirabella away from the protesters, who had surrounded her and were shouting slogans attacking the Abbott government's cuts to higher education funding announced in last week’s budget.
The protesters, believed to belong to the radical leftwing group the Socialist Alliance can be heard chanting: "Say it loud, say it clear, razors are not welcome here." The protesters, believed to belong to the radical leftwing group the Socialist Alternative can be heard chanting: "Say it loud, say it clear, racists are not welcome here."
Mirabella was eventually able to break free from the mob after police came to her rescue.Mirabella was eventually able to break free from the mob after police came to her rescue.
The Socialist Alliance is the same group accused of jostling and abusing the foreign minister, Julie Bishop, as she visited the University of Sydney last Friday, and which also targeted the education minister, Christopher Pyne, on the ABC's Q&A program this month.
A police spokesman confirmed officers had been called to the campus about 10am on Monday.A police spokesman confirmed officers had been called to the campus about 10am on Monday.
"Approximately 20 protesters were demonstrating in one of the lecture theatres and a female guest speaker was escorted from the theatre to her car by police," the spokesman said."Approximately 20 protesters were demonstrating in one of the lecture theatres and a female guest speaker was escorted from the theatre to her car by police," the spokesman said.
No one was injured or arrested.No one was injured or arrested.
A University of Melbourne spokesman said Mirabella had returned about 20 minutes later to continue her lecture.A University of Melbourne spokesman said Mirabella had returned about 20 minutes later to continue her lecture.
It was announced in March that the sometimes controversial former MP had taken up a role at the university as a public policy fellow.It was announced in March that the sometimes controversial former MP had taken up a role at the university as a public policy fellow.
Mirabella was the Liberal Member for Indi, in Victoria, from 2001 to 2013 but was defeated in the 2013 federal election.Mirabella was the Liberal Member for Indi, in Victoria, from 2001 to 2013 but was defeated in the 2013 federal election.
• This article was corrected on 20 May 2014 because it referred to the Socialist Alliance rather than the Socialist Alternative, and substituted the word "razors" for "racists".