John Howard Booed in 1996 Over Gun Law Reforms

In 1996. then-Prime Minister John Howard wore a bulletproof vest under his suit while addressing a hostile crowd of gun owners at a rally in Sale, Victoria.

This event occurred shortly after the Port Arthur massacre, as Howard was pushing for the National Firearms Agreement (NFA) across the country. The proposed laws, which included a ban and mandatory buyback of semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, generated significant anger and protest among some rural and regional Australians who were legitimate firearms owners.

The gun buyback scheme successfully removed over 600,000 firearms from public circulation.

Video by Megan Jacobson for the ABC News Social Media Team, using footage from the ABC archives.

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