Quote:POLICE are out in full force at Reclaim Australia rallies today, as Pauline Hanson called for calm after violent scenes erupted in Melbourne.
As protesters take part in Reclaim Australia rallies around Australia today, Ms Hanson told the Today Show today that the rallies were not “about violence”. Instead, they were about people having the right to actually come and have their say.
Ms Hanson will take part in a Rockhampton rally as part of her “Fed Up” tour.
“Why do we have to have this violence?,” she said.
“I don’t want to see this violence.”
“(Reclaim) is people like myself saying to our politicians I’m sick and tired of where you have us headed,” she also said on her official Facebook page.
“It is about being an Australian, being proud of who you are and to maintain our culture, way of life and laws.”
Photos and video taken by social media users have shown protesters already chanting for “scum” to get off our streets.
As Ms Hanson prepares to run for a seat in the Senate next year, she said her “Fed Up” tour was about touring the country to hear Australians’ concerns.
Whether they are fed up with foreign investment, high taxes, losing our farming sector, Ms Hanson said she planned to go to “remote areas where people feel forgot”.
When asked why she still felt she had support, she told the Today Show: “Because I’ve never given up and the party won’t. Australians haven’t given up on me. I get so much support Deb that I’m walking around because people say to me, Pauline, you are only saying what we’re thinking but you’ve got the guts to get up and say it.”
Ms Hanson’s comments come as rallies are set to get under way across the nation in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Reclaim Australia began its demonstration further up Martin Place at about 10am.
Police have formed a line in front of the anti-racism protesters and several units of mounted officers are around Martin Place. Banners reading “stand with multiculturalism against racism” and “no racism, no Islamophbia” were held high in the cool morning air.
Reclaim Australia has called supporters to gather in the same city street a short time later, for what organisers have described as “a public response to the shock of recent atrocities of ‘Islam’s radicals’ both inside and outside of Australia”.
Three people in ancient Greek-like military costumes, including helmets and shields, and four men with Australia flags draped on their shoulders are among about 50 people apparently gathered for the Reclaim Australia protest.
It’s unlikely they will clash directly with the anti-racist protesters, with police patrolling a “sterile” or buffer zone running across two city blocks.
Police were forced to use capsicum spray to control crowds at protests in Melbourne and hundreds of officers blocked streets in front of Parliament House, separating the opposing groups.
In NSW, senior police have put would-be protesters on notice.
Assistant Commissioner of the NSW Police Alan Clark said the key would be to keep the rallies calm.
“I think the key to this operation is to keep two groups separate. We’ve been negotiating with them to try and achieve that and if we can’t achieve it by negotiation we’ll need it to achieve by police operation,” he said today.
“We will not tolerate any criminal, anti-social or dangerous behaviour; if you choose to do the wrong thing you’ll be removed and dealt with appropriately.
“The same goes for anyone who attempts to cause disharmony or incite conflict with those who may hold opposing views.”
QUEENSLAND
Queensland Reclaim Australia rallies are planned for the Gold Coast, Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast.
Queensland political figure George Christensen will also attend an anti-Islam rally today.
Mr Christensen, who represents the seat of Dawson, has agreed to address a Reclaim Australia rally in Mackay.
He said on his Facebook page he wanted to “support people who seek to defend our Australian way of life, our culture and our freedoms from the threat of radical Islam”.
He said “hell (would) freeze over” before he would give in to those trying to stop him from attending the rally.
Liberal National Party Queensland senator Matthew Canavan said Mr Christensen should be judged by what he says, not who he stands alongside.
“George is perfectly free, big enough, ugly enough to look after himself,” Mr Canavan told ABC Radio.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
A Reclaim Australia rally is planned for Perth, which is set to take place at Solidarity Party opposite Parliament House at 1pm.
The organisation’s Facebook page said the peaceful rally was part of a national Reclaim Australia campaign to show “the people of Australia that we have had enough of minorities not fitting in and trying to change our Australian cultural identity”.
TASMANIA.....
tbc
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