A Brisbane man hurled abuse and raised his finger at Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, after he accused the politician of pushing in at a bar.
Turnbull was at the Carindale Hotel on Thursday night for a “politics in the pub” event when a man became enraged as he waited for a beer.
“It is understood the pub-goer hurled abuse at the PM and stuck his finger up at Turnbull from behind”, says 9News.
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It appears the man did not realise who Turnbull was and became indignant about his wait.
Police said the man yelled abuse at Turnbull about 7.10pm because he was served before him, but quickly apologised.
“There was no altercation but the man was yelling abuse, so he was moved away, taken outside and moved on,” a police spokesman said. “He was fairly intoxicated and fairly apologetic once he realised what he was doing.”
Turnbull himself seemed unfazed by the whole incident.
He received “a very, very warm reception in every respect,” he told Brisbane reporters. “We had a great visit. It was a very warm welcome, an open session and there were a questions on a whole range of topics.
“There was one gentleman there who clearly had had, err, a few drinks too many. And I think he was, ahhh, he was assisted in making an early return home. Which is probably where he should have gone earlier in the evening, as I’m sure he’s worked out by this morning.”
This is not the first time an Australian PM has been abused in public. In 2016, “a Tasmanian man was arrested after headbutting former prime minister Tony Abbott while he was out walking on Hobart’s waterfront”, reports News.com.au.
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