Protest against Hanson's One Nation
By Justin Randell
WOLLONGONG — Pauline Hanson has been in the news again. Not content with her racist rhetoric, she is revealing more of her reactionary agenda by arguing that young people should be kept off the streets after midnight. She wants police to have powers to take children between the ages of 10 and 16 back to their parents.
Hanson cites statistics from the Queensland police regarding the "staggering" number of crimes committed by 10-16 year olds in 1996-97 as justification for her calls for increased police powers. Appearing on A Current Affair on February 2, Hanson "debated" the issue with Democrats Senator Natasha Stott Despoja.
Hanson claimed Stott Despoja was unqualified to speak on the issue because she did not have children. While this was a feeble attempt to discredit the Democrat senator, Hanson need not have worried about the arguments put forward by her opponent. While pointing out that police time would be better spent "fighting real crime", Stott Despoja failed to offer any alternatives to Hanson's proposal.
Resistance is organising a peaceful protest outside Bombaderry-Nowra branch of One Nation meeting on Friday, February 27. Resistance member Liam Cockcroft told Green Left Weekly, "Increasing the harassment of young people is no solution to anything. Apart form being an attack on the rights of young people, Hanson's proposal will lead to increased harassment of indigenous people in particular."
Cockcroft pointed out that young people need better funded education, and the prospect of getting meaningful employment at the end of it.
"These are the real issues facing young people, and more police powers will do nothing to address them. This is the sort of argument that we need to put against Hanson, to focus on the real problems facing young people", Cockcroft said.
People will gather at 7pm, outside the Bombaderry Community Centre, 17 Burelli Street, Bombaderry. "Young people need to oppose Hanson on the streets, to protest against her reactionary politics where the mainstream media cannot drown out our voice", Cockcroft told Green Left Weekly.
For more information about the protest, contact Liam on (02) 4226 2010.