Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been shielded by police while being heckled by protesters who swarmed around him after a federal caucus meeting in Sydney.
Under sweeping reforms agreed to at the meeting, the Labor leadership vote will be split 50-50 between caucus and grassroots members and there will also be an automatic election for the leader after a federal poll in which the ALP goes to opposition.
After announcing the changes at Balmain Town Hall, Mr Rudd had to be shielded by police on a walk down Darling Street to the historic Unity Hall Hotel - one of two ALP foundation locations.
"Kevin Rudd you racist coward, we don't want another Howard," shouted a small group of protesters, who had to be held back by officers as Mr Rudd entered the hotel with deputy PM Anthony Albanese.
This week on Dateline - Mark Davis reveals explosive allegations of abuse within Australia's asylum-seeker detention centre on Manus Island. Tuesday at 9.30pm on SBS ONE.
Across the road, another protester had to be restrained by police as he trailed the prime minister down the street shouting "you are a liar, you are a liar".
Other protesters shouted "no to Manus island" and "reinstate single parents income" as Mr Rudd strode along Darling street.
The prime minister, surrounded by police and a large media scrum on the walk, ignored the protesters as he shook hands with locals on Balmain's main street.
He then lunched upstairs at the iconic Labor site as locals waited for him to reappear.
Downstairs at the pub, one Balmain local, John, said he wasn't too impressed with Mr Rudd.
"I don't trust him," John said, sipping a schooner of beer.
"A lot of my mates were Labor all their life and they've changed."
But he said he backed Mr Rudd's leadership rule changes.
"If people vote a leader in they should be given a good run, not just pushed out by the party," he said.
Another local drinker was just happy when Mr Rudd left the pub.
"Thank God it's all over, Kevin Rudd has left the building," she said.
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