Students from nearly 40 high schools and colleges across South Australia gathered on the steps of Parliament House on Thursday to protest the rise of Pauline Hanson and One Nation.<\/p>\n
They joined thousands who protested nationwide in what was dubbed \u201cSay no to Pauline Hanson\u201d.<\/p>\n
Organisers said more than 1000 people had attended the protest, which spilled onto the street outside Parliament House. <\/p>\n
Premier Peter Malinauskas said young people being interested in politics and political discourse was a \u201cgood thing\u201d, but that when it came to school-aged children, \u201cideally they\u2019re at school\u201d.<\/p>\n
Various speakers including Socialist Alternative organiser Jordan Armstrong and SA Socialists state secretary Tom Gilchrist led the crowd in chants including \u201cf**k Pauline\u201d, \u201ctrans rights are human rights\u201d and \u201cPauline Hanson go to hell, take One Nation there as well\u201d. <\/p>\n
Another notable speaker at the event was recently-elected Greens MLC Melanie Selwood.<\/p>\n
There were numerous placards and signs in the crowd,including one that said \u201cthere are no good racicts (sic)\u201d.<\/p>\n
Australian Science and Maths School student Julia, 15, said she was worried about the future if Pauline Hanson continued to gain support.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the younger generation, it\u2019s my job to protect my future, and I think Pauline Hanson has no one\u2019s best interest in her but the rich,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Sixteen-year-old Nick, from Adelaide Botanic High School, said he did not agree with Senator Hanson\u2019s immigration policies.<\/p>\n
Nick had a homemade sign with the words \u201cflick Hanson\u201d, a reference to \u201cflick the United Nations\u201d t-shirts that are sold through the One Nation website.<\/p>\n
St Michael\u2019s College student Vivienne, 17, said she believed Australia should be \u201ca place of peace and unity\u201d and that hate is \u201cnot welcome in this country\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that the youth of Adelaide specifically is, you know, we\u2019re really present in our politics,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody wants to make a big change. I\u2019m pleasantly surprised by the amount of older people that have turned up as well, of all generations, all ages, and yeah, it\u2019s really good to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vivienne said if she could say one thing to Senator Hanson it would be: \u201cjust be kind and maybe step down from your position because there are much better people that could be doing it right now\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fifteen-year-old Banksia Park student Martha said: \u201cI just think her (Pauline Hanson\u2019s) views on trans people and pro-life are just so disrespectful and invasive\u201d.<\/p>\n
An early attendee at the protest was One Nation SA leader Cory Bernardi, who arrived at Parliament House just as the protesters had begun gathering. <\/p>\n
Mr Bernardi told media he had been advised by police not to attend, and accused the participants of being indoctrinated. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re supporting socialism which is a failed doctrine all over the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey hate capitalism, they obviously hate Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Bernardi was met with fierce opposition by the crowd, including from Mr Armstrong, who told him \u201chow dare you be here\u201d.<\/p>\n
After protesting for just over an hour, the throng began a march up King William Rd and down Rundle Mall, continuing their chant of \u201cf*ck Pauline\u201d. <\/p>\n
Protests are occurring simultaneously in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Newcastle and Wollongong.<\/p>\n
The event was organised by the National Union of Students, with members of Socialist <\/p>\n
Alternative, a university group comprising left-wing students, and the high-school anti-capitalist Instagram page spearheading the Adelaide protest.<\/p>\n
Schools with students participating in the protest included Adelaide High School, Adelaide Botanic High School, Urrbrae Agricultural High School, Australian Science and Mathmatics School.<\/p>\n
The protest concluded at the Pulteney St end of Rundle Mall, where a makeshift barricade of police halted the protesters.<\/p>\n
To cries of \u201cwe\u2019ll be back\u201d, protest organisers announced a second school and university walk-out would take place on September 17.<\/p>\n
Responding to the calls for protest, Senator Hanson said schools should teach young people \u201chow to think, not what to think,\u201d despite there being no evidence of any schools explicitly endorsing the protests.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to protest something, protest why your parents\u2019 wages are going backwards and the cost of everything is going up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Labor Greens government is selling out your future, and you\u2019ll inherit a weaker, poorer and less safe country. Whether you know it or not, One Nation and I are fighting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Armstrong said the protest was a \u201cmomentous occasion\u201d and that more than 2000 students had come out to \u201csay no to Pauline Hanson\u2019s disgusting racism\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to make a disruption to the status quo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the rise of far-right politics that is about racism, sexism and anti-worker politics, this is a threat.<\/p>\n
\u201cPauline Hanson wants to do what Donald Trump is doing in America, deport tens of thousands of migrants from this country. These are our classmates, our friends. We need to stop this before it happens here in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the Premier supported the idea of young adults taking an interest in politics, he said there were oppourtunities for it to be outside of school hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I would say to anybody who advocates for their position, do it civilly, do it respectfully,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as it\u2019s done in a way that is law abiding, then that\u2019s okay, but for young kids, as best as they can, I think they should be in school.\u201d<\/p>\n
One Nation state president Carlos Quaremba said last week that Australia was a free country and students were \u201cmore than welcome\u201d to protest.<\/p>\n
Two One Nation staffers had tried to attend a meeting of the protest\u2019s organisers, but were chased out once their identities were discovered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Students from nearly 40 high schools and colleges across South Australia gathered on the steps of Parliament 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