One Nation Accused of Impersonating Progressive Social Media Page at Anti-Hanson Rallies

The owners of a progressive social media page have accused One Nation of impersonating them at anti-Pauline Hanson rallies while shooting a series of “undercover” videos. Hanson’s party has recently published a string of videos with a young male host attending leftwing protests. In the clips – published on pages owned by One Nation and Hanson on Instagram, TikTok and X – a party staffer seeks to embarrass protesters in filmed interviews. He asks people questions that appear designed to catch them out, such as: “We’re going to fight [racism] by uniting under one nation, right?” In one video, he says: “I’m going undercover to protest against my boss, Pauline Hanson.” In another, Hanson herself appears, joking with the host as she asks: “Who have you been hanging around with?” The founders of Toilet Paper Australia, a political meme and commentary page with 128,000 Instagram followers, told Guardian Australia they have received reports from followers that a One Nation representative has been attending rallies in Brisbane and other cities, alleging to be “from Toilet Paper Australia” when seeking interviews. Toilet Paper Australia regularly criticises One Nation and promotes critical news stories about the rightwing populist party. “We want to make abundantly clear: this person is not from Toilet Paper Australia. They are not affiliated with us, and they do not represent us in any capacity,” a spokesperson for the page said in a statement. Guardian Australia has spoken to three attendees of a Brisbane rally against Hanson in June – organised by the organisation Campaign Against Racism and Fascism – who alleged they were approached by the host in the One Nation videos and that he claimed to be from Toilet Paper Australia. In the videos, the host films protesters chanting slogans or making speeches that strongly criticise Hanson, as well as interviewing people wearing Greens merchandise, with communist or socialist T-shirts and flags, or holding colourful signs. One participant is asked: “Did you come here stoned?” To which they say yes. The host asks a man wearing a pirate outfit: “When was the last time you showered?” “I hope I’m not going to become trans tomorrow,” the host says in another while speaking to a participant. He yells along with the chant: “Hanson is not welcome here.” The Brisbane rally attendees said they had no suspicions that the host was from One Nation. Che Janz, who was featured in one video, claimed the host approached him and friends at the event. “I think he saw us from afar and then wandered over. He said ‘how are you going, I’m from Toilet Paper Australia and I’m doing some interviews here’,” Janz said. He said he “didn’t suspect anything”, noting there were often people filming at such rallies for social media, but said he was aware of political opponents filming “undercover” content at social rallies in Australia and overseas. “It wasn’t out of the ordinary … but I always know there’s a risk involved going to something like that, know that could happen,” Janz said. Two other attendees, who requested to not be named and were ultimately not featured in videos published by One Nation, claimed the host asked them “leading questions” at the rally, giving them an opportunity to criticise Hanson’s party. “It was just the one guy with a phone and lapel microphone, nothing seemed suss at all,” one said. “He wasn’t rude, he looked perfectly normal, just a guy doing some media.” Toilet Paper Australia’s Instagram page describes the group as “Proudly Union. Proudly Biased”, adding: “Fighting Murdoch, the Liberals and One Nation.” It regularly features criticism and news stories about conservative politicians, and has in recent weeks strongly focused on One Nation. Toilet Paper Australia last week posted links to One Nation’s volunteer sign-up website, writing: “I’m sure you’d all love to *definitely* show up and *definitely* not miss out and no-show.” One Nation did not respond to request for comment. Guardian Australia contacted the host on several social media platforms but did not receive a reply.