WATCH: Masked pro-Palestine mob tries to shut down One Nation meet-and-greet

It has become an all-too-common scene in Victoria. Whenever conservatives gather for a political event, the same self-righteous left-wing anti-Australian activists appear outside to try to shut it down. Armed with slogans, flags and accusations, they claim to be defending tolerance while attempting to intimidate anyone who dares to hold a different view.

This time it was outside a One Nation meet-and-greet fundraiser with their leader Pauline Hanson following the launch of the party’s Victorian state election campaign. The protesters arrived waving pro-Palestine flags, calling Hanson, One Nation and everyone walking through the doors racist.

The irony was impossible to miss.

In that line were Australians from all backgrounds: young voters, families, business owners and migrants who had made Australia their home. Yet the people hurling those accusations seemed determined to ignore the diversity they pretend to care about standing right in front of them.

In fact, I would argue the crowd waiting to enter was far more diverse than the masked pro-terrorist activists wrapped in keffiyehs outside.

🚨 Pauline Hanson DESTROYS ‘journalist’ furious over ABC ban

The establishment media weren’t happy after the One Nation leader suggested Australia doesn’t need the ABC because “Rebel News is here.”

👉 pic.twitter.com/XaWtnC8xxy

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) August 3, 2026

One of the most memorable moments came when I spoke with an Iraqi Assyrian Australian woman near the front of the queue. She had a few choice words for the protesters branding others racist while wearing keffiyehs.

We discussed the irony of activists adopting a scarf with roots in her region while seemingly knowing little about its origins or cultural significance. Here they were, calling an Iraqi woman racist while wearing a symbol tied to her own heritage.

You couldn’t make it up.

Outside, the protesters kept shouting at everyone heading in. I pointed out the contradiction of activists claiming to stand for women’s rights and women’s safety while wearing a garment linked to a cause whose supporters defended the October 7 attacks, in which women were raped and murdered.

To me, it was the definition of political cosplay. They wear the costume, repeat the slogans and claim the moral high ground, but their actions show little tolerance for anyone who disagrees with them.

They called One Nation supporters extremists and racists, but the people inside the venue looked nothing like the caricature they were trying to create.

One young man I met was about to turn 18 and preparing to vote in his first election. He told me he supported Pauline Hanson because he believed she was consistent, stood by her values and represented ordinary Australians. Outside, protesters were calling people like him white supremacists.

The frustration among attendees was clear. Australians should be able to attend a political meeting without being screamed at, abused or labelled extremists for holding an opinion of their own.

The protesters represented a loud minority. Inside were everyday Australians: taxpayers, small-business owners and people from a range of cultural backgrounds who just wanted to take part in democracy.

One attendee argued that, unlike those outside, conservatives were willing to let others air opposing views. He said people are entitled to disagree, but there is a difference between having a debate and shutting down those you oppose.

As usual the rabid activists also tried to turn the focus onto my personal life. Rather than get distracted by their attacks, I directed anyone genuinely interested to my book, Rebel From the Start, which you can also get a copy of at RebelFromTheStart.com

Despite the shouting outside, the mood inside could not have been more different. The room was buzzing with optimism and patriotism, full of people who still believe this country is worth fighting for.

Pauline Hanson spoke about wanting Australians who share our values, respect the law, and contribute to the nation. For everyone in that room, it was simpler still: the freedom to speak, debate, and disagree without being screamed at or labelled an extremist for showing up.

That is not extremism. That is democracy. And it is under attack every time a loud minority decides ordinary Australians should not be allowed to gather.