In the latest case, One Nation campaign signs were slashed, prompting concern for the safety of volunteers.
As political tensions intensify ahead of the federal election, a surge in vandalism and physical confrontations is raising concerns about the safety of campaigners.
The latest incident involves the defacing of One Nation candidate signs in the Hunter region, about 200 km north of Sydney.
Party leader Pauline Hanson posted footage online showing a man slashing and vandalising the signage.
“All across the country, One Nation candidates are seeing their signs stolen, slashed, and defaced,” she wrote on X, adding, “Hunter is just one example. We are targeted because they know One Nation is winning support where it counts.”
In parallel, the Greens have also reported a wave of attacks on their election material.
Posters of Senator Mehreen Faruqi and Grayndler candidate Hannah Thomas were defaced with swastikas in Sydney suburbs Erskineville and Stanmore.
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Another of Faruqi’s signs in Chester Hill in Greater Western Sydney bore an Islamophobic slur suggesting Arabs had killed more Palestinians than Israel.
Faruqi, the party’s deputy leader and anti-racism spokesperson, condemned the attacks as part of a broader campaign of hate.
“The Greens are being targeted by a toxic mix of racists, Islamophobes, and the far right because we are standing up against Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” she said.
“This is an attempt to silence our supporters who proudly take part in our democratic process—and it will not work.”
Violence Reaches the Ground
Physical altercations also erupted at a pre-polling station in Macquarie Park, within the battleground seat of Bennelong.
A 30-year-old man was filmed kicking and throwing Liberal Party signs outside a pre-polling booth around 11 a.m. on April 22.
The footage shows the man knocking over corflutes and hurling one at a volunteer wearing Liberal Party clothing.
NSW Police confirmed the was arrested shortly after the incident and charged with intimidation. He was granted bail and is scheduled to appear at Burwood Local Court on June 2.
Albanese Calls for Calm
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned the incidents and urged activists to avoid targeting MPs’ offices and campaign workers.
“This is an escalation of the attacks that we’ve seen. We’ve been talking about this. We’ve got to dial this down,” he said earlier.
The incidents come amid heightened political and community tensions following the Gaza conflict, which has increasingly spilled into Australian political discourse and campaigning.
Albanese said those responsible must be held accountable, warning that violence and intimidation have no place in a democracy.
