Pauline Hanson has revealed why she won’t walk the streets of Melbourne, telling News24 it’s the one place in Australia where she fears for her safety.
The One Nation leader revealed her fear during filming for News24’s Fight for the Right documentary, telling host Chris Kenny it was due to the viciousness and nastiness of protesters.
“I asked her whether she feared for her life. She said no, but then she said, I feel pretty safe walking around all of Australia, but there’s certain places I won’t go,” Kenny told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
“I asked where, and she said, ‘Well, I won’t walk the streets of Melbourne. There’s too much animosity. There’s too much vitriol directed at me, and they always threaten death.
“Says she’s happy in regional Victoria, but in the middle of Melbourne, a no-go zone for Pauline Hanson.”
Senator Hanson’s comments were made shortly after she attended a One Nation event to announce the party’s first eight state election candidates.
Outside the event, a group of 50 to 100 protesters brandished signs such as “Smash racism anti-colonialism class war 4 liberation”, “no nazi never again” and “f**k Israel”, while chanting slogans at supporters who were protected by a large Victoria Police presence.
Kenny said that he had never seen a larger police presence than the one at the event.
“The whole of this Melbourne city block was flooded with police, and there were another dozen or more inside the hotel where the event was,” he said.
“Melbourne police are obviously very, very worried. Not just about protesters, but – I would suggest – they’re worried about attacks on One Nation leaders.”
But the News24 host said the reaction to Ms Hanson was vastly different around the rest of the country.
“I’ve been astounded by how people treat Pauline Hanson. She is like a rock star, and people from all walks of life come up to her, shake her hands. They want to get a selfie with her, and they invariably tell her that they support her, and they think she’s saving the country,” he said.
“Young people aren’t afraid to say that they will vote for One Nation. Young women, migrants, people of every ethnic background talk to us in this documentary and say they support One Nation.
“Indigenous people out in Western New South Wales as well. One of the standouts for me that’s in the documentary is a very majestic-looking Sikh man in a turban. Of course, a Sikh wears a turban, but it’s in One Nation orange, right? And he says that Pauline Hanson is the person to save the country.
“It’s an incredible burden they’re putting on her, an incredible amount of hope, and it’s amazing to see.”