Last night was one of those rare nights in a lifetime; a night that will become a footnote in our history. Last night was the night the people of Hobart silenced the racist and confronted the bigots.
It was an inspiring night. Jenni and I went with up to 6,000 others to the anti-Hanson rallies in Franklin Square and at City Hall. Franklin Square was the biggest crowd I had seen since the Wesley Vale pulp mill demonstration. It was pleasing to know that so many people were willing to turn out on a cold evening in late autumn to say no to the racists and neo-Nazis.
Like so many others, we walked the few yards from the square to City Hall where another large crowd had gathered to give Hanson and her supporters a warm Hobart welcome. Hanson sneaked in through a side entrance at about 7:45pm. At that point, Jenni and I made up our minds to go into the hall.
Inside, there appeared to be about 200 Hanson supporters sitting at the front of the hall. Behind them were at least an equal number of people, most of whom were wearing orange ribbons and carrying banners. We were pleased to see many familiar faces, old comrades from demonstrations and rallies that are now part of our labour history.
I heard one old comrade say that this was the best gathering since the end of the Vietnam War. It was particularly heartening to see so many young people at the rally and inside the hall.
By 8:15, the rally organiser, Chester Summerville, a former National Party leader in Tasmania and now the voice of the “Concerned Citizens”, was attempting to announce that the rally had been cancelled and that it was a sad day for democracy.
The truth is that on the night Tasmania showed overwhelmingly that racism has no place in Australia. Hobart silenced Hanson. Let us hope that she heard our message.
