A protester at a Melbourne rally against Pauline Hanson's One Nation party stole a microphone from a News24 reporter before the reporter pursued and retrieved it. The incident occurred while Georgie Dickerson was reporting live from a student rally in Melbourne. "We had to chase that protester through the packed crowd," Dickerson stated, adding that she was eventually able to stop the individual and recover the equipment. She described the protest as mostly peaceful, though shouting of "f*** Pauline" was audible during her live broadcast, prompting an on-air apology from the news anchor.
The nationwide "Say No to Pauline Hanson" rallies took place on Thursday, August 13, in several Australian cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Wollongong, and Newcastle, drawing crowds of high school and university students. Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi appeared in a video sharing a "permission slip" for students to attend the rally, citing concerns about the far-right's rise and One Nation's stances on women's rights, workers' rights, and environmental protections.
In Sydney, approximately 300 individuals gathered with anti-Hanson signs. The event was coordinated by the National Union of Students and the "High School Anti Capitalists" group. One student told the Daily Mail that the demonstrators were protesting because Hanson "does not represent Australia" or its "multicultural society," and called her a "disgusting nationalist." Another student stated they attended because Hanson "f***ing sucks" and claimed many classmates had skipped school for the demonstration. Some students reported that school deputies attempted to prevent their attendance, but their parents supported their participation.
Avasa Bhattacharya, an organizer with the National Union of Students, told the Daily Mail that they helped coordinate the protests and anticipated a significant turnout due to online traction, though the Sydney attendance exceeded expectations. Bhattacharya expressed hope that the protest would inspire further public opposition to Hanson and engagement in future demonstrations.
Senator Hanson responded to the protests by blaming "left-wing teachers" for encouraging the students, asserting that "Schools should teach young Australians how to think, not what to think." She also suggested students should protest issues like stagnant wages and rising costs. One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce claimed students were influenced by a "clique of people who have a political purpose" rather than acting on their own volition. Lee Hanson, Senator Hanson's daughter, suggested the students had been "indoctrinated" and that schools should be places for education and debate, not political activism.