By Sarah Peart
"Dangerous hoons" was how One Nation executive director David Ettridge described the socialist youth organisation Resistance in the week before a 2000-strong demonstration outside One Nation's offices in Manly. "Let's wait until Monday to see if our windows are broken."
At her meeting in Newcastle, Pauline Hanson stated that the 3000-strong protest outside included "one particularly unsavoury group who follows me everywhere, a socialist group called Resistance".
The reason for Hanson's hatred for Resistance is clear when you compare the size of Hanson's own meetings to far larger counter-demonstrations outside, counter-demonstrations that Resistance has been very active in helping to organise.
In Adelaide, the meeting at the European Convention Centre in Findon was attended by 600 Hanson supporters. Outside, between 3000 and 4000 people demonstrated, including students, workers, members of South Australia's Aboriginal communities and migrant representatives, while another 10,000 attended a Celebrating Diversity festival in the centre of Adelaide.
In Newcastle, by One Nation's own figures, 1500 attended Hanson's meeting while outside there were at least twice that number opposing her. The story is repeated nationwide.
Resistance has committed itself to being involved in organising demonstrations wherever Hanson or her One Nation party organise meetings.
Hanson and her supporters have tried to claim that those protesting, including Resistance, were denying her "freedom of speech" and were a violent rabble. The establishment media have taken up this line, hoping to discredit those organising the mobilisations and deter people from venting their anger at racism.
But according to Resistance national coordinator Sean Healy, this line isn't working. "We have no intention of being deterred from organising and participating in demonstrations against Pauline Hanson — in fact, we're very much committed to 'following her everywhere'.
"If it weren't for the counter-demonstrations, the massive anti-racist sentiment would remain passive, racism would remain unchallenged, and Pauline Hanson would get away with presenting her racist politics as in some way legitimate. The only way we're going to defeat Hanson's One Nation is if the counter-mobilisations not only continue but become even bigger."
The next big protest will take place in Melbourne on Monday, July 7. Hanson's One Nation has scheduled a meeting for that night in Dandenong, a heavily migrant area in Melbourne's outer south-eastern suburbs. Already, plans are under way for a large counter-demonstration. Resistance is planning for a large contingent from around the country to attend the protest.
The protest will occur only a day after Resistance's 26th national conference, which will be held from Friday, July 4, to Sunday, July 6, in Melbourne, and which will feature discussion about building the anti-racist movement.
To launch its conference, Resistance has organised a public meeting entitled "Fighting Howard and Hanson's Racism". This "national youth against racism" public meeting will be on Thursday, July 3, at 7pm and will feature anti-racist activists from across the country.
Speakers at the meeting will include Resistance members Sam King, an organiser of the demonstration against Pauline Hanson in Adelaide, Kamala Emanuel, a member of Newcastle Anti-Racist Alliance and Iggy Kim, a member of Tasmanians Against Racism and an organiser of the Hobart demonstration against Pauline Hanson.
"This meeting will be an important opportunity for anti-racist activists nationally", Kamala Emanuel said. "It's a chance for us to look at the successful actions we've organised so far and plan ahead."
Also featured at the public meeting will be Sam Wainwright, 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly's correspondent in France for the last 18 months. Wainwright will be discussing the anti-racist movement in France and its fight against the far right National Front of Jean-Marie Le Pen.
"There are many parallels. In France, racism is being used to scapegoat migrants for unemployment and social decay, just as it is here. Even the recent Howard government attacks on refugees are very similar to what's going on in France", Wainwright said.
"The movement in Australia can learn a lot from the movement in France and the movement throughout Europe about how to tackle racism and the right, about the tactics for building a mass movement."
The public meeting and the Resistance national conference will be held in the Melbourne Resistance Centre, 14 Anthony St, Melbourne. Information about registration can be obtained from (03) 9329 1277.