Pauline Hanson unleashes furious tirade at feminist protesters accusing them of ‘demonising men’ as she lashes out at rape accuser Brittany Higgins

Pauline Hanson has accused feminist protesters of ‘demonising men’ before lashing out at alleged rape survivor Brittany Higgins.

The One Nation leader’s harsh words come a day after March For Justice rallies took place across Australia calling for gender equality.

‘Stop demonising men,’ Hanson told Sky News on Tuesday.

‘There are false allegations, there are men who have been accused of these things that didn’t, it didn’t happen.’

Pauline Hanson has accused feminist protesters of ‘demonising men’ before lashing out at alleged rape survivor Brittany Higgins

Ms Higgins, a former Liberal Party staffer, had a hand in kick-starting the movement after she went public with claims she had been raped by a colleague at Parliament House in 2019

Thousands joined 40 rallies across Australia including in major cities Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart on Monday (pictured, the protest in Brisbane)

Thousands joined 40 rallies across Australia including in major cities Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart on Monday. 

Protesters called on political leaders to make greater strides towards ending violence against women. 

Ms Higgins, a former Liberal Party staffer, had a hand in kick-starting the movement after she went public with claims she was raped by a colleague at Parliament House in 2019.

‘For so long it felt like the people around me only cared because of where it happened and what it might mean for them,’ she told the crowd at Canberra’s rally.

‘It was so confusing because these people were my idols. I had dedicated my life to them. They were my social network, my colleagues and my family.

‘And suddenly they treated me differently. I wasn’t a person who had just gone through a life-changing traumatic event, I was a political problem.’ 

Hanson criticised Ms Higgins for waiting two years to speak out about the alleged rape, despite the now 26-year-old telling police immediately after.

‘Brittany Higgins, she had the right to go and lay those charges,’ she said.

Hanson criticised Ms Higgins for waiting two years to speak out about the alleged rape, despite the now 26-year-old telling police immediately after the alleged incident

Labor leader Anthony Albanese attended Monday’s rally with a contingent of colleagues, along with the Greens and independents

‘Take it to the courts. If you’ve got a case for assault then you take it to the courts.’

Hanson went on to point out that false rape allegations can ‘destroy lives’. 

In 2019, the polarising senator accused her son’s ex-wife of making false claims that he sexually abused his own child.

‘I know this feeling because, for years, my own son faced these destructive allegations in an attempt to stop him having access to his young son,’ she told the Senate at the time. 

‘My ex-daughter-in-law claimed to police that my son was outside her home in Townsville.

Signs including ‘we are marching for everyone’s daughters’, ‘stop violence against women’ and ‘it’s time for men to change’ were visible in the crowd in Canberra

Brittany Higgins speaks at the Canberra Womens March 4 Justice on March 15 in Canberra

‘That was despite him being sick and on the Gold Coast, some 1,000 kilometres away. He was forced to defend himself, at enormous expense, and was dragged through the courts.

‘She also falsely alleged – a soul-crushing claim – that my son had sexually abused his boy. Again, the false claim was designed to stop him having any connection with his son. No charges were brought against my son.’ 

Labor leader Anthony Albanese attended Monday’s rally with a contingent of colleagues, along with the Greens and independents.

Signs including ‘we are marching for everyone’s daughters’, ‘stop violence against women’ and ‘it’s time for men to change’ were visible in the crowd.

Protesters handed a petition backed by 94,000 people to Labor MP Tanya Plibersek and Greens senator Larissa Waters, to present to parliament.