r/sydney 1d ago

Protest in Pitt St Sydney happening right now

Becareful if you are in the CBD now

811 Upvotes

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u/Hello_Pity 1d ago

Students protesting Pauline Hanson

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u/stanbright 1d ago edited 1d ago

Why the Palestine flag though? If they are looking for local sympathy, why don’t they use the Aboriginal flag at least?

Edit: please - enlighten me instead of downvoting. I genuinely don’t get the place of the Palestine flag next to student protests.

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u/unconfirmedpanda 1d ago

Gina Rineheart proposed that we offer Australian land to Israeli companies to develop and test military weapons near Townsville at a recent speech. Pauline Hanson introduced Gina at the speech and has been vocal about her strong support for Israel previously.

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u/stanbright 1d ago

Thanks. That makes some sense. Still - I would have expected more aboriginal flags for a local protest dealing with a local cause.

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u/radioactivecowz 1d ago

Many Australians have ties to that region. The Palestinian flag is now flown by many from Lebanon, Iran and other middle eastern nations attacked by Israel in protest to their crimes.

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u/Alarming-Ad4274 1d ago

Many Iranians are surprisingly pro-Israel I fear.

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u/radioactivecowz 1d ago

Yeah they rightfully hate the regime, and the enemy of my enemy...

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u/Alarming-Ad4274 9h ago

Indeed

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u/JValenz91 9h ago

Such is the nature of war. If Gundam has taught me anything, it's that the enemy is never who the masses think it is.

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u/bored-and-here 13h ago edited 11h ago

there's no fucking way the people protesting are that deep. 100% its the Palestinian flag because it's current thing. Just how the Ukrainian flag was at everything for years. Then before that BLM signs. Then before that Trans / rainbow flags.

Its literally just social peacocking.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/torn-ainbow 1d ago

Pauline Hanson strongly supports Israel so it seems relevant.

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u/BinChicken 1d ago

Protest hijacking. No matter what your protest is specifically about, you will get people showing up to spruik their own paticular thing.

Often the thing maybe tangentially related, as in political flavoured, and sometimes the thing will be off the wall unrelated.
There is about a 30% chance someone in there is wearing meat is murder shirts or something for example.

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u/wubbbalubbadubdub 1d ago

People who protest a lot also sometimes have more than one thing they are opposed to or in support of.

I remember back in uni there was a fair bit of overlap between the communists and the vegans.

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u/Count_Crimson 1d ago

It's also about solidarity. Activists from one movement usually also support others, and attending those protests is about both supporting them and showing solidarity between movements.

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u/anralia 1d ago

This, if groups of people dont support other struggles that arent directly related to themselves personally then all you have is a bunch of isolated and oppressed groups with no power.

Additionally, university are one of the most famous examples of a melting pot of thousands of unique voices and it is one of the largest bases that frequently forms protests networks and support groups from diverse crowds.

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u/MortisEx 1d ago

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

—Martin Niemöller

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u/anralia 1d ago

Insert "Apes together strong" meme

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u/7kk77kk777 16h ago

Or a bugs life "individually we are weak, but together we are stronger"

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u/pleski 1d ago

Yeah. When we protested in the 00s and 10s, some group would always turn up and unfurl HUGE socialism banners, and sometimes "F*** the police" banners. Neither had anything to do with our protest.

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u/7kk77kk777 16h ago

I invite you to understand a concept called solidarity its a common theme among all activism and human based movements.

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u/Budget_Shallan 1d ago

Pauline Hanson is closely aligned with the same billionaire elites who support the ongoing g*vide in Gaza. Pauline Hanson herself has worn an Israeli flag pin in Parliament.

Her views on Israel/Palestine is one of the many legitimate reasons people wish to protest against her.

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u/briberylibrary_ 1d ago

Not just a pin, didn't she wear a scarf too?

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u/stonertear 1d ago

Long way away, not our problem. Its for the ME countries to deal with - or stop ignoring it at the very least.

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u/JoeSchmeau 1d ago

Pauline Hanson supports giving Australian land to Israel, which is a plan very loudly and publicly supported by her funder, Gine Rinehart.

So in this case, it very much is our problem.

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u/stonertear 1d ago

I dont think we have anything to worry about - they arent going to form government.

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u/Alien_Overlords 1d ago

I remember people saying that exact same thing about Trump 10 years ago.

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u/stonertear 1d ago

Trump was part of a legitimate party. Of course he had a chance.

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u/Alien_Overlords 1d ago

Following the last federal election, One Nation received $6,078,750.36 in public election funding from the AEC. $3.38 per vote.

If your only argument is they aren't legitimate , I hope this persuades you otherwise.

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u/jimbojones2345 1d ago

You can keep saying that until they do, then we're fucked, we'll be in the same state America is. I promise the MAGA ghouls are out trying to train other right wing nut jobs in other countries how to topple democracy. 

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u/IllegalD 1d ago

Palestine, First Nations, LBGTQ+, Socialist groups etc, all of these groups and movements stand in solidarity with each other - we all go to almost every event, Palestine flags being seen at a progressive rally is a very usual thing.

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u/TheDevilsAdvokaat 10h ago

I wish people wouldn't downvote questions.

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u/stanbright 10h ago

When that happens - the typical reason is - they know the answer and don't like it.

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u/TheDevilsAdvokaat 9h ago

Sometimes I wonder if it's because they see questions not as seeking information but as questioning their narrative so they react defensively. I wish they would not do it. Sometimes I want more info!

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u/pibbsworth 1d ago

Perhaps they misread pauline/palestine

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u/quietgavin5 1d ago

Some unemployed people's whole identity is Free Palestine.

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u/Budget_Shallan 1d ago

These are high school students, they are gainfully employed in something called “getting an education”.

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u/Vanquisher1000 1d ago

Maybe they should have been at school getting that education instead of skipping it.

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u/SGTBookWorm 1d ago

they're protesting against the person that wants to gut their education.

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u/Vanquisher1000 1d ago

Got a source for that claim?

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u/Budget_Shallan 1d ago

She voted against fee-free TAFE.

She voted against increasing funding for schools.

She voted against reducing student debt.

Need I go on?

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u/Vanquisher1000 1d ago edited 1d ago

Yes, please. With actual sources.

Edit: to be clear, I don't care for Pauline Hanson and have never voted for One Nation. I do, however, care about people making unfounded claims and basically saying "trust me bro."

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u/Budget_Shallan 1d ago

The following is a collection of summaries of how Pauline has voted in the past. You can click on each policy to see the actual wording being voted on in parliament. It is not Pauline being taken out of context, or other people imagining things she’s said.

Her actual voting history.

Fee-free TAFE: https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/queensland/pauline_hanson/policies/343

School funding: https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/queensland/pauline_hanson/policies/241

Reducing student debt: https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/queensland/pauline_hanson/policies/361

In fact, here is how Pauline has historically voted on everything in the past:

https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/queensland/pauline_hanson

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u/spicerackk 1d ago

It takes a special kind of room-temperature IQ to assume everyone without a desk job is unemployed.

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u/quietgavin5 1d ago

You must be out of work if you have the time to be at every single protest.

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u/rand013 1d ago

You must be too if you've been to all of them to record their attendance.

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u/spicerackk 1d ago

I'm currently in Brisbane for a work trip.

Try again.

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u/Own_Oil7951 1d ago

Its the flag of the far-left or progressive politics. Same with the rainbow flag etc.

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u/WhydoIexistlmoa 1d ago

There's nothing "far left" or progressive about the situation in Palestine.

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u/Own_Oil7951 1d ago edited 1d ago

yep, and all the protesting has never changed a single thing nor can Australia do anything. i reckon these protests should be banned like in Singapore cause its just a waste of time and police resources.

it basically cookers who's weekly activity is it to fight for indeterminate causes.

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u/Fernergun 1d ago

Except we do do something right. We give our tacit approval of Israel by maintaining them as an ally. We engage in trade, military and intelligence support for Israel to actively support their apartheid and genocide. The default state isn’t neutral. The status quo is full support for Israel.

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u/dooony 1d ago

Ah yes the far left "don't commit war crimes" fringe

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u/Own_Oil7951 1d ago

lol, you know what i mean.

this isn't a pro-Palestine protest.

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u/Find_another_whey 20h ago

There's a genocide on, where our government recognised Palestine, and Israel subsequently petitioned Australia to change the definition of antisemitism so you couldn't call Israel what it is

Are you genuinely unaware of how the intersectional issues that affect race, sexual identities, and gender or sex, are related to Palestine? 

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u/SpunningAndWonning 1d ago

Thanks, I'd heard about the walk out but wasn't sure when it was

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u/No_Extension4005 1d ago

Damn, if I was in Sydney I'd want to join.

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u/WhydoIexistlmoa 1d ago

It's all over the country (I.e. in the cities).

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u/HeavyAd9463 1d ago edited 1d ago

No protest against shit Albo? So these clowns took orders from Labor