Comments by Scott Balson, Global Web Builders,
4th August 1998.
Comments by Scott Balson, Global Web Builders,
4th August 1998.
Part of Ipswich could become a warzone tonight if Pauline Hanson goes ahead with a rally in Nicholas Street, ALP candidate for Blair, Virginia Clarke said yesterday.
Mrs Clarke should know as she was the convenor of the Ipswich Anti-Racism Committee protest which was involved in the violent riots in April 1997 at the Ipswich Civic Centre at the launch of One Nation in the same street and yards from the place where the rally will take place tonight.
Mrs Hanson has been forced to speak in the street after the Ipswich City Council refused her access to the Civic Hall last week - this after the council earlier granted her permission to use the venue. The argument given by the council in preventing her from using the hall was "on advice of the police". This statement has been clearly questioned by Ipswich Police Superintendent Alex Baldwin who said after the ruling to ban her, "We have at no stage told no one they (One Nation) could not hold a meeting."
Mrs Clarke is now claiming that One Nation is trying to provoke an incident by holding the meeting in Nicholas street. A rather off-beat statement seeing that Pauline Hanson was elected by the people of Ipswich to represent them at a Federal level and she has made it clear that this public meeting has been arranged to allow her to speak to her constituents.
Mrs Clarke is quoted in the Queensland Times as saying, "One Nation leaders are obviously trying to provoke an incident by insisting that they hold a meeting on the street outside the Ipswich Civic Hall."
"Left wing groups from Brisbane are also looking for a fight because they're determined to come here and abuse and harass One Nation supporters.
"Both groups should back down and stay away."
Now can you imagine how Mrs Clarke would respond if an ALP meeting was being threatened in this manner - despite her prior involvement in organising violent protests? Her hands are stained. But she would not be alone in condemning anyone stopping an ALP meeting - you would have everybody from the Governor-General to the Prime Minister to Peter Beattie condemning the abuse of the right of freedom of assembly. Apparently because it is Pauline Hanson and One Nation violent protests are okay because they are a "freedom of expression against racism".
The thugs who are expected to attend tonight are split into more than one camp. We have the militant Griffith University socialists coming in by bus at about 6.30pm and another group called Action Against Racism led by a newby, Terry Symonds, who expects about 50 to join protesters at the Hanson rally.
"It's a protest against racism we believe One Nation is promoting," Mr Symonds said, "We want to make a public show for the opposition that exists over the policies."
One Nation state director has confirmed that the meeting will go ahead tonight. Over 40,000 brochures have been distributed to constituents in the Ipswich region.
Pauline Hanson is expected to address a number of issues tonight including the handling of her application to use the Ipswich Civic Hall.
I will be there to cover the event and will take images recording what actually occurs.