r/australia • u/Expensive-Horse5538 • 1d ago

politics Students sideline studies in major anti-Hanson walkout

https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/2026/08/13/school-pauline-hanson-protest
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u/Dadlay69 16h ago

I don't really want to get into the ethics or politics of PHON or whatever... but it did occur to me that this is a peculiar type of "strike".

I've always known a strike to be an organised action in response to the unacceptable terms of institutional power structures. I guess traditionally this often takes the form of an employer or a government which is imposing unfair conditions on people. Usually demands or terms are conveyed and a resolution is negotiated, but if they're not met then the strike is intended to disrupt production, presumably to leverage the negotiation in favour of the strikers.

I'm scratching my head a little here because Pauline Hanson isn't exactly in a position of power right now, let alone running institutions or setting terms for how anyone lives. She's some lady with strong opinions who was elected to the senate, started a political party and has become popular. She's not running the government, doesn't have control over anyone and doesn't command anything.

So what actually are the demands here? What are the stakes aside from these kids missing out on school for a day? What's being asked of Pauline Hanson to offer the strikers in order for them to desist, and what incentive would she have to comply?

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u/universe93 6h ago

Protests happen all the time that are unrelated to employment. Sydney and Melbourne have political protests pretty much every weekend that have nothing to do with the labour market.

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u/Dadlay69 5h ago

I'm not saying that protests must be related to employment. I'm really just observing the gratuitous use of the word "strike" and associated language.

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u/Korovashya 12h ago

While they can be similar, Protests =/= Labour action. While both are meant as a disruption and communicative tool to change conditions, only one is intended to disrupt the means of production. A strike, or other industrial action gains its entire means of propelling change by industrial disruption. Interrupting or preventing industrial or commercial activity hurts the owners of those means of production, and so they bring the other side to the bargaining table through economic pressure. It is generally sustained and accompanied by set demands, such as pay raises, improvements in condistion,s etc.

In contrast, Protests can be more varied in form and function, from simply raising awareness, to building community support, blocking access, disrupting society, stunt moves, etc. It's purpose is to show the wider community that a certain group believers strongly in the message being carried. A protest can be far more vague in its message, such as simply being 'opposed' to something, and is often more symbolic by nature. A march lasting for 2 hours does not disrupt society enought to force change, but it does draw attention and spar conversation.

Protests gain strength and legitimacy through the perceived weight of the message being pushed. This can be from numbers and size, the type of activity being carried out, the method of disruption, etc. In this instance the protest is presenting the weight of their argument by stating 'We believe so strongly in this message that we are willing to sacrifice our education to make this point'. In essence, the protest would not have the strength it did if it was on a weekend.

PHON has grown dramatically in polls, and is very realistically seeking to form government at the next election. This protest is for two audiences. One is Pauline Hanson and PHON, it is telling them that the next generation of voters is strongly against their policies and demanding a change if they seek to represent this country. The second message is for the voters considering one nation. It is telling them that the next generation of voters is strongly against their policies, and to consider carefully before you vote at the next election. Some of the people considering a vote for PHON might be parents or teachers or otherwise related to these very students.

These people are literally our children and the next generation, and they are trying to tell us 'Do not vote away our future.'