A personal view of Australian and International Politics

Friday, 14 August 2026

‘Everything is on the line’: students shun calls to stay in school and join anti-Hanson protests across Australia.

Student protest against Pauline Hanson outside the State library of Victoria on 13 August, 2026

High schoolers join university walkouts in major cities and several smaller locations amid urge to fight against racism.

On Thursday, thousands of students across the country put down the textbooks to walk through streets in protest against the rise of Pauline Hanson, joining the protests organised by the National Union of Students.

When Kaylee, who is in Year 8 and uses they/them pronouns, asked for the day off school, their mum requested they lay out their reasoning. They presented her with a four-page essay.

They aren’t a political family; their mum doesn’t regularly read the news, but Kaylee said “I persuaded her” to come along.

“People of a different race shouldn’t lose their rights,” Kaylee said. “And queer people have already had a lot of issues with fighting for their rights, and if that gets taken away too, that’s not OK.”

Asked why they thought Hanson should not be in charge, Kaylee simply said: “I just don’t think she should be able to make those kinds of choices”.

The themes from the speakers were clear – racism is not welcome here, and Hanson does not represent Australia’s youth.

Former Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam told the crowd she was impressed by the turnout, saying, “It gives me hope that we can stop the rise of One Nation. Everything is on the line right now.”

At one point, right-wing self-proclaimed journalist Avi Yemini turned up, surrounded by large men wearing all black and another man in a One Nation T-shirt. He tried to make his way into the crowd before being turned around by marshals.

As Yemini started filming on the sidelines, a group of students ran into the background to chant “fuck Pauline Hanson”.

A few metres away, a parent, Chris, said he can remember walking out of school to strike against Hanson almost 30 years ago, and now he stood with his 13-year-old daughter, Charlie.

“I think that everyone should have the same rights and everyone should be able to be treated the same way,” Charlie said.

Chris said he hadn’t mentioned to his daughter the protests he attended, but as soon as she asked if she could go to this one, he said yes.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “It really is. I’m sure there’s a huge range of different political views represented here, but … the common thing amongst all these amazing young people is they believe in kindness.

“They believe in decency, they believe in everyone getting a fair go regardless of who they are, and they want people to live in peace no matter who they are.

“Anyone who wants to attack that, I think, is maybe a little bit monstrous.”

Students take part in anti-Hanson protests in Sydney – video

In Sydney, the energetic crowd were joined by the Greens member for Newtown, Jenny Leong, who spoke passionately.

“Many decades ago, the first thing that took me out on the streets of Sydney as a teenager was Pauline Hanson and her racist agenda,” Leong said. “As one of the signs out here says, you should not still have to be protesting against this shit.

“We know that we do not need One Nation or Pauline Hanson in this country. Not just for the racism, not just for the division, not just for the bigotry, and not just for the hatred that she spouts from her mouth every single day to advance her own self-interest and personal power.”

Asked why he was there, one student, Marcus, 21, mentioned another name that had popped up in speeches and on signs across the protests – Gina Rinehart.

“I think she’s bought out by Gina Rinehart, she’s bought out by coal industries,” he said.

In Sydney One Nation supporters were marched away. In Brisbane, one man yelled “Pauline Hanson will save Australia” as he was moved along by police.

Hanson’s One Nation primary vote has ballooned in the last 12 months and now sits at 26%, according to the latest Roy Morgan poll.

Responding on social media, Hanson said students should instead be protesting against the cost-of-living crisis and stagnant national wage growth.

“The Labor-Greens government is selling out your future, and you’ll inherit a weaker, poorer and less safe country,” she wrote.

“Whether you know it or not, One Nation and I are fighting for you.”

Further calls for students not to sideline their studies on Thursday came from politicians including the federal education minister, Jason Clare, and the Victorian premier, Ben Carroll.

“If people want to protest on the weekend, then fill your boots, but I want you at school when school is on, learning,” Clare told reporters on Wednesday.

Hanson’s track record shows she has voted against education policies such as free Tafe, increasing funding for public schools and reducing student debt, Akash Nagarajan, the union’s general secretary, said.

Hanson used her National Press Club address in June to call for a “monocultural” Australia, and appeared on a podcast hosted by British far-right activist Tommy Robinson during a trip to the UK last month.

The Victorian One Nation MP Rickie-Lee Tyrrell said the suggestion her party was racist was “false” and accused the socialist party of misleading students.

“These people are telling these children false information, we are not racist,” she told reporters at state parliament on Thursday morning.

“If you have a look at our followers, our members, our candidates, there is a diverse range of people.”

I protested against Pauline Hanson 28 years ago – now my teenager is doing the same thing.

Extract from The Guardian

Opinion

Pauline Hanson

Philippa Chandler

In 1998, when I was in year 11, my friends and I wagged school to protest against the One Nation leader. Now my daughter has joined the school walkout.

I gave her permission. I could hardly say no, considering I did the same thing 28 years ago.

In 1998, I was in year 11 at Bunbury senior high school in Western Australia. Hanson was visiting our town, so I wagged school with my friends Steve, Kate and Andrea and joined a small protest outside the venue where she was speaking.

We had little first-hand experience of cultural diversity but we were outraged by her mean-spiritedness. Hanson had recently made a statement about being “the mother of the nation” (or something like that) so we chanted: “You are not our mother!” Even as white kids in a relatively monocultural regional town, we did not want to be represented by her.

A photo of us made the local newspaper. The owners of the ice-cream shop where Steve and I worked were unimpressed to see two of their junior staff gain notoriety.

The problem is that Hanson seems to thrive on attention, so perhaps a better strategy is to ignore her. Could my friends and I have unwittingly contributed to her rise?

Our 1998 protest against Pauline Hanson made it on to the cover of the local newspaper — Our protest made it on to the cover of the local newspaper in 1998

This afternoon, my teen’s school principal sent an email to parents reminding us that “schools play an important role in helping students understand constructive ways of sharing their views and having a voice on issues they feel strongly about”. I assume this was a response to a large number of teens attending the protest.

The school does a wonderful job.

But how exactly are young people supposed to raise their voice beyond school? They can’t share their opinions at the ballot box and, at 15, my daughter is banned from social media so can’t even express herself online.

In the 1990s, social media was a distant prospect. Triple J had only recently expanded to regional WA and I had little concept of youth subcultures let alone youth politics.

Back then, we didn’t have memes but we used to mimic her famous question “please explain” and took delight in the satirist Pauline Pantsdown. I am shocked her career has had longevity.

Protesting against Hanson was the first of many anti-racism protests I have participated in. Once I became a mother, I took my daughter along with me and we participated in Black Lives Matter and various Indigenous rights rallies.

My daughter is now old enough to attend without me. As she has grown-up in a multicultural suburb, racism is a tangible issue that directly impacts her friends, neighbours and family.

I just hope the teens had a safe experience and that my future grandkids don’t have to protest against Pauline Hanson too.

Bird flu threat to Tasmania's endangered native wildlife spurs contingency plans.

Extract from ABC News

By Monty Jacka

Topic:Avian Influenza

12 hours ago

Three little penguins walk along wet sand towards the water at dusk. — Little penguins are among the species at risk from bird flu. (ABC)

From ferocious devils ambling through the bush to colourful birds found nowhere else in the world, Tasmania is renowned for its unique wildlife.

These animals are now under threat following the detection of the H5N1 bird flu strain in the carcass of a brown skua on the state's north-west coast.

The arrival follows months of careful planning and triggers a suite of protection measures, including increased surveillance and a vaccination program.

Species that gather in dense colonies, scavenge carcasses or already face extinction pressures are being prioritised as authorities work to limit mortalities.

Here is a look at which animals are considered most at risk, and what is being done to protect them.

Tasmanian devil

One of the biggest unknowns is how the virus will impact the state's most iconic animal — the endangered Tasmanian devil.

As carnivorous marsupials, devils regularly scavenge on the carcasses of other animals, meaning it is almost a certainty some will eventually eat infected birds.

But whether the virus will then infect the devils is still unknown, according to Rachael Alderman from Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE).

"That's an uncertainty but something we're very concerned about so we're watching, monitoring and preparing as much as we can,"

Dr Alderman said.

"An additional threat is going to add pressure to their safety and long-term survival, so we are worried, but we're not necessarily expecting it to happen."

To help protect the species, work is taking place to strengthen captive populations of Tasmanian devils by reducing disease and boosting genetic diversity.

There is currently no H5 bird flu vaccine for mammals, but Dr Alderman said there was "a lot of work being done" in that space.

Orange-bellied parrot

A small parrot with a green body, blue wings and a distinctive orange spot on its belly, sitting on a branch. — The critically endangered orange-bellied parrot breeds at Melaleuca in south-west Tasmania. (Supplied: Dejan Stojanovic)

The critically endangered orange-bellied parrot is one of Australia's most threatened bird species, with only 88 detected in the wild last year.

Tasmanian Deputy Premier Guy Barnett said H5 bird flu posed a "significant risk" to the species, so the state government was planning to roll out a vaccination program.

Once approved by the state government, the H5 bird flu vaccine will be administered to 350 orange-bellied parrots within a captive breeding centre at Five Mile Beach near Hobart.

"We cannot eliminate the risk entirely, but we're taking action to give our orange-bellied parrots the best possible chance in the event of an outbreak," Mr Barnett said.

Additional protective measures, such as specialised shade cloth infrastructure, will also be implemented at the facility to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

A close up of a green parrot with an orange belly standing on a stem of native grass — A male orange-bellied parrot at the Five Mile Beach captive breeding centre, where parrots will receive a vaccine. (ABC News: Loretta Lohberger)

It is hoped the vaccination program will begin in September to coincide with parts of the breeding program and sequencing in the captive population.

Australia's Threatened Species commissioner Fiona Fraser said she was "really thrilled" that Tasmania would be looking to run a vaccination program for the orange-bellied parrots.

"Of course, vaccination alone is not sufficient to really build the resilience of our species to H5 bird flu, but it is a very important tool for some of those species,"

Dr Fraser said.

Little penguin

Tasmania's coastlines and nearby islands are dotted with colonies of little penguins, which are at risk of experiencing significant mortalities following the arrival of H5 bird flu.

Mr Barnett said while the birds were "much-loved" and "treasured", they were not being considered a priority species for a vaccination program.

This is because of their large population numbers, the fact they are not a threatened species and because of the strict conditions required to receive a permit for the vaccine.

"Two doses are required, separated by a period of one or two weeks, and you need to be able to monitor those individuals after you have vaccinated them," Dr Alderman said.

"We can do orange-bellied parrots because we have the ability to comply really easily with all those conditions; we couldn't do that with little penguins."

Victorian authorities are planning to round up 5,000 little penguins on Phillip Island to administer the H5 bird flu vaccine.

Dr Alderman said the situations were not comparable, as Victoria could meet the permit requirements with the Phillip Island population.

Instead, efforts to preserve little penguin populations in Tasmania will include the removal of weeds on beaches and work to reduce the impact of pests.

Native seabirds

Shy albatross flying off coast of Tasmania — Shy albatross are among the seabirds at high risk from bird flu. (Supplied: Helen_Cunningham)

Wild aquatic birds have undoubtedly been the wildlife group most heavily impacted by the H5 bird flu pandemic as it has spread across the world.

BirdLife Australia senior advisor Sean Dooley said the arrival of the virus in Tasmania was particularly concerning, as it is a "really important migratory shorebird and seabird area".

The state government has identified the shy albatross, the short-tailed shearwater, the white-fronted tern, the fairy and little terns, and the Australasian gannet as species at high risk.

Australasian Gannet — The Australasian gannet is another species identified as being at high risk. (Taubin/flickr.com)

Albatross Island, where about 40 per cent of shy albatross come to breed, is only about 100 kilometres from where the infected brown skua was found, something Mr Dooley said was concerning.

He said terns often suffered "the most severe consequences" during an outbreak of H5 bird flu and that the virus could be "catastrophic" if it hit a breeding colony of gannets.

"It's not only about dealing with the threat of trying to limit the spread of bird flu, it's also making sure that our unique wildlife is in the best position to recover,"

Mr Dooley said.

"So we need to be able to ensure that colonies of seabirds in particular are free from threats like feral animals or weeds invading their area."

The seasonal harvesting of short-tailed shearwater chicks, known as muttonbirding, is one of the oldest enduring cultural practices for Tasmania's Aboriginal people.

NRE secretary Jason Jacobi said if an outbreak was detected within a colony, the department may work with the Aboriginal community to impose a temporary suspension on muttonbirding.

A wedge-tailed eagle in flight. — There are also concerns about the impact bird flu could have on wedge-tailed eagles. (ABC: Chris Lewis)

Some of the other seabirds that Mr Dooley said he was particularly concerned about included the white-bellied sea eagle and the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle.

Seals

Some of the most devastating images of the national H5 outbreak were seen on Heard Island in the Southern Ocean, when thousands of baby seals were killed by the virus.

As the deadly strain reaches Tasmania, the state government has identified the Australian and long-nosed fur seals as two species at high risk.

Dr Alderman said this was partly because of the way the seals gathered in large groups, which made it easier for the disease to transmit.

A small brown seal resting on a yellow rock next to the water — Seals often gather in large numbers, making it easier for the disease to spread. (Supplied: Lisa Byrne)

As they are mammals, there is no vaccine available for seals. However, Dr Fraser said work was being done to build the resilience of wild populations.

The arrival of H5 bird flu in Tasmania is potentially bad news for Neil the seal — a juvenile elephant seal famous for causing havoc on his semi-annual visits to the island.

Palestinian villagers under siege for days as Israeli settlers attack West Bank homes.

Extract from ABC News

By Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran and Sami Sockol in Qusra

Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War

1 hours ago

An exterior shot of a modern concrete house on the top of a hill. — One of the Palestinians hunkered in one of the besieged houses says their situation is "dire". (ABC News: Hamish Harty)

In short:

Palestinians who are trapped in homes in a West Bank community say the Israeli military is complicit in settlers' attempts to force them from their land.

Violence has been on the uptick in recent days as US ambassador Mike Huckabee slams the settlers as "thugs".

Members of Israel's security establishment are accusing the Israeli military of failing to properly defuse tensions.

A group of Palestinians in a small West Bank village have spent almost a week under siege from Israeli settlers, as community members accuse the Israeli military of being complicit in the saga.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has labelled the settlers "Israeli terrorists" and demanded they be removed from the area, which is home to many Palestinian-American citizens.

Groups of Israeli settlers have been attacking homes on the edge of Qusra, roughly 50 kilometres north of Jerusalem, for months as they try to intimidate families into abandoning the properties.

The intensity of the attacks has increased in recent days, with power and water cut to the Palestinian properties.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had sent soldiers to the area, saying they were there to dismantle "illegal outposts". But the settlers remained, forcing the military to deploy more troops.

The ABC spoke to one of the Palestinians hunkered down in one of the houses, Qusai Abu Ridi, on a scratchy phone line from a vantage point overlooking the homes.

"The situation we are in is dire," he said.

"We don't have the basic essentials.

"The settlers are terrorising us at night until 2 or 3am. They attack the house and throw stones at us.

"Since Sunday, no-one can visit us other than the Red Cross that took our daughter to the hospital. Our situation is tragic."

A wide-shot of houses and buildings on the side of a dry hill. — The West Bank community of Qusra has been the site of repeated settler attacks on Palestinian residents. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Qusai was forced to move into the vacant home of his brother, a Palestinian-American still in the US, as the settlers advanced.

He was then forced to move again.

"At 10 in the morning [an army officer] told me, 'This house, you must evacuate it,'" he said.

Qusai and his family moved to another house, which the IDF also demanded be evacuated soon after.

When the ABC spoke to him, he was in a third house. Local community leaders believed about a dozen people were sheltering there together.

Hours later, the IDF announced "soldiers were instructed that the Qusra residents will remain in their homes".

"Furthermore, the soldiers will not operate inside the Palestinian family's home located near the site where the tent that was evacuated and dismantled had been erected."

Qusai reported only some families had been allowed to return to their homes, and posted a photo near his property of settlers loitering outside.

A group of people sitting on a ledge overlooking a large settlement in the West Bank. — Settlers remained nearby after some of the Palestinian families were allowed to return. (Supplied)

One of the others in the homes, Ruqiya Hasan, recorded a voice note for the community and its supporters.

"If we are martyred, we request to be buried in our home, so it would be a witness to the crimes of the settlers against us and against the Palestinian people," she said.

IDF troops pray with settlers

A screengrab from CCTV footage showing Jewish settlers throwing rocks on a road. — CCTV footage shows Jewish settlers throwing rocks on the road in Qusra on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Vision shared by the families showed the settlers' rampage as they threw rocks at the homes and tried to dismantle a stone wall.

When Israeli soldiers first arrived, some were spotted praying with the settlers.

A group of people standing outside a home in the West Bank. — Israeli settlers and people in military uniforms were seen outside a Palestinian's house in Qusra on footage taken on Monday. (Reuters)

More troops were sent to the area in what was described as an attempt to disperse the settlers. During that operation, tear gas was used to force them to leave.

It provided brief respite for the Palestinians in the homes, but the settlers returned hours later.

Mr Huckabee posted on X: "The IDF & Israel Police have gone at our request to remove the Israeli terrorists doing this."

"The actions of those doing this to this family's home is criminal," he said.

"Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting.

"No excuse for such thuggish behavior."

A Palestinian man talking on a mobile phone on top of a hill. — Abed Al Hakim Wadi is casting doubt on Israeli military claims of a crackdown on the settlers. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)

In a separate post, Mr Huckabee wrote it was inaccurate to say Israel had not acted to protect the Palestinians. He also shared video of Israeli forces driving through Qusra towards where the settlers were camped.

But Qusra community leader Abed Al Hakim Wadi said it was all talk.

"When they say the embassy of America in Jerusalem talk with the Israelis and to the government to stop the settlers who attack this area and surrounding the houses, and that the life of this family is in danger, this is just for the media," he said.

"They didn't do anything to the settlers, [it's] just in the media.

"They told [us they would] send 200 soldiers to Qusra and a bulldozer, and they will arrest the settlers and will send him to the prison, to the court — it's just in the media, in fact, no nothing [has been done]."

In a later social media post, Mr Huckabee said "settlers" were not the problem, but "unsettlers" were. He described them as a "very small minority who do great damage to Palestinian families & to Israel".

Mr Huckabee has long backed the Israeli settler movement, and has also expressed support for Israel annexing parts of the West Bank.

Attacks grow in scale

Israeli media has reported the IDF is stretched thin across the West Bank, as it struggles to deal with the threat to security caused by settlers in the territory.

Members of the security establishment, outside of the IDF, have accused it of a PR stunt in Qusra and of failing to properly defuse the situation.

Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich sit in the Israeli parliament — Key members of Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, including Itamar Ben Gvir, center, and Bezalel Smotrich, right, have voiced support for settlers trying to drive Palestinians from their homes. (Reuters: Maya Alleruzzo/Pool)

The Netanyahu coalition government, often referred to as the most right-wing in Israeli history, stands accused of supporting and encouraging the settlers.

Cabinet ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir — both settlers themselves and subject to sanctions from governments around the world, including Australia — have promoted settlement expansion and efforts to force Palestinians to flee.

That political backing, combined with the growing number of settlers serving in the IDF as its reserves are drawn on to serve in places like Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, has fuelled a fear in the Palestinian community that the military allows the settlers to act with impunity.

There are estimated to be more than half a million Israeli settlers living in the West Bank, and another 200,000 in East Jerusalem.

A young Palestinian boy stands near a wall marred by graffiti. — Palestinian communities in the West Bank are increasingly accusing Israeli settlers of trying to force them from their homes amid an uptick in violence. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Their occupation of the land has been deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in a ruling not recognised by the Israeli government.

There are 146 official settlements, 163 outposts and 237 settler farms across the West Bank, according to the organisation Peace Now.

Many are established close to Palestinian communities, with some outposts effectively encircling towns and villages.

It is not the first time Qusra has been targeted in recent times.

Late last month, the ABC documented the aftermath of a settler firebombing of a mosque on the other side of the village.

Graffiti reading "revenge" in Hebrew was spray painted on the building.

The charred remains of the front facade of a building in the West Bank. — A partially constructed mosque in Qusra has previously been attacked and set on fire. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)

It followed a shooting incident roughly 30 kilometres away in the village of Tell, where two Israelis and four Palestinians were killed.

The settlers accused the Palestinians of attacking them, while the Palestinians said it was the Israelis who were the armed aggressors.

That triggered days of violence across the West Bank and a major Israeli military crackdown, as the IDF claimed to be targeting Palestinian "terrorists".

Again, the community in the West Bank argued they were being blamed for defending themselves from settlers.