Pauline Hanson joins anti-immigration protest in Melbourne
Violent clashes broke out between attendees and hecklers at an anti-immigration protest at Flagstaff Gardens, while guest speaker Pauline Hanson delivered a blunt assessment of Melbourne.
Controversial One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson has declared she would never move to Melbourne, after she was heckled by anti-racist protesters while giving a speech at an anti-immigration rally on Sunday.
Hundreds of people protesting for a “free Australia” were listening to Ms Hanson address the Put Australia First rally at Flagstaff Gardens when a counter-protester repeatedly screamed “racist” and “go home Pauline”.
Members of the disruptive group were quickly shoved aside by Ms Hanson’s supporters, with one man getting into a fist fight before police intervened.
Undeterred by the incident, Ms Hanson continued her speech, thanking attendees for being at the event which kicked off despite pouring rain earlier in the day.
“Under this government, we’ve brought in over one and a half million people into the country,” she said.
“That’s why your housing is increased, that’s why your health services are lacking, that’s why you have problems getting jobs – that all comes from high immigration.”
Ms Hanson – who was speaking from a truck converted into a stage – also assured the crowd One Nation would be running candidates in next year’s state election.
“We will fight for you to give you representation in parliament,” she said.
“I’m not in Victoria and to tell you the truth I don’t want to move to Victoria. I’ll stick to Queensland thank you very much.
“We have our problems but when I see what the Labor Party has done to this state – I don’t think the Liberals will be any better. They don’t fight.”
Ms Hanson’s appearance at the rally came after 700 people with Australian and boxing kangaroo flags marched from Flinders St station to Flagstaff Gardens, flanked by a significant police presence.
Dozens of officers on foot were supported by the Public Order Response Team, Mounted Branch and Highway Patrol in a bid to keep the peace after a counter anti-racism rally kicked off at the State Library on Sunday morning, attended by about 500 people.
Protest groups including the Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance (WACA), Students for Palestine LTU and Campaign Against Facism were among those promoting the counter-protest.
In a statement, WACA said Ms Hanson had spent “decades punching down” minority groups and “finally copped some push-back from people who refuse to let hate go unanswered”.
A Victorian Police spokeswoman said officers successfully kept the two opposing groups separate to avoid violent clashes, with only one arrest made.
“The man was arrested on Swanston Street after officers searched him and allegedly located knuckle dusters,” she said.
Police also issued move on directions to two individuals – one to a woman who was using a loudspeaker before running from police an the other to a man who breached police.
The spokeswoman said police would review CCTV and investigate the display of a Nazi symbol, an unknown man who threw a drink can at officers and other incidents involving offensive behaviour.
There were no injuries and the spokeswoman encouraged anyone with information that could assist investigations to contact Crime Stoppers.
Premier Jacinta Allan has clapped back at Pauline Hanson after the One Nation leader declared she would never move to Victoria, saying her politics of “hate and division” is not welcome anyway.
Ms Allan on Monday said it was “good” the controversial senator had no interest in making a move down south because Victorians reject her “divisive” rhetoric.
“I think what we saw yesterday from that federal politician from Queensland is more of the same division that Victorians reject,” she said.
“I reject it. There is no place for these divisive politics here in Victoria, which is why I reject, not just her divisive politics, I think it’s good that she doesn’t want to come to Victoria, because Victorians have … shown time and again that they reject the politics of division that is being peddled by this politician from Queensland.”
Ms Allan, however, conceded that Ms Hanson was capitalising on political division that already existed in Victoria.
“My government is focused on that work every single day,” she said.
Originally published as Pauline Hanson joins anti-immigration protest in Melbourne
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