Ramadan night markets bring thousands of visitors to Lakemba – a suburb where Pauline Hanson claims people ‘feel unwelcome’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/21/ramadan-night-markets-bring-thousands-of-visitors-to-lakemba-a-suburb-where-pauline-hanson-claims-people-feel-unwelcome
33 Comments
For what its worth, i dont doubt it when Hanson says she feels unwelcome. But i dont know… maybe youre unwelcome cos youre a racist cunt?
These night markets are awesome and have some great food. It’s a shame that the guardian chose to focus the article on Pauline Hanson with this title.
Missed opportunity to display this event as a stand alone, positive thing.
Stop giving that woman attention.
Hi, every waiter, salesperson, tradesman and public sector staff member here. You know, we have always been good at pretending to care about the batshit notions of people like Hanson, but I think we may have been accidentally too good, to the point where The Guardian thinks we actually care about whether or not she feels welcome in a suburb of people she racially profiles, in a state she doesn’t live in
We don’t. We don’t care that your latte had too much foam, we don’t care that you don’t like the paving you chose, we don’t care that your sprained ankle got triaged over a stroke victim, and we don’t care that you have a whole bunch of opinions on people you never interact with. We’re smiling, nodding, and waiting til you’re out the door so we can take the piss out of you.
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I would hope she felt unwelcome in most places, for being a generally shit human.
Happy holidays!
Demonising Muslims is a very convenient strategy to manufacture consent for doing the bidding of a rogue, genocidal ethnostate.
Xenophobic people feel unwelcome in most parts of the world.
If I lived in Sydney… I’d definitely take the family there
Funny how when it’s Ramadan everyone is like Lakemba is the best, any other time it’s like it’s such a shithole I would never go there, live there etc. hypocrites
One of the BEST cultural events I’ve been to are the Muslim ones. I retain fond memories of the vibe, the food, at Eid Al Fitir around Broadmeadows, Victoria.
I should make a shirt for fellow whitie’s who survived
‘I survived Lakemba night markets,
And i loved the food and hospitality’
How beautiful!
I’m 100% that people that are racists like Pauline are unwelcome there. So for Pauline in particular, she is right.
But for everyone else, that’s some good food and everyone else but Pauline is welcome
Amazing night market too! Great food.
Felt very welcome, but maybe because I’m not a racist piece of crap. I imagine your experience will differ if you’re not a typical welcoming Aussie.
I love the night markets! Side note: my blonde friend who lives in Lakemba got spat at by a man one day. She was wearing a singlet and shorts so likely deserved it.
Reckon if socials was flooded with people and shops from Lakemba welcoming Hanson to visit and it were to go viral it would be a huge water dump on Hanson movement of late, the mayor inviting Hanson down was a great move.
Flood her with love and make it ridiculous to hate people for being people.
Ramadan night markets? I didn’t know that was a thing. My first assumption is that the food at a cultural event where everyone has been fasting all day would be next fucking level. I’ll have to check if there are any near me. Thanks for Streisanding this, Pauline, you miserable fuck.
Pauline Hanson is a racist bigot
pauline -should- feel unwelcome, because she’s a fucking xenophobe.
Argh, I got so hungry reading that article. Are the markets still on? I wanna go!
Lakemba is fine. The food is great. I wish the population took their driving lessons seriously though.
Hanson is right in that people like her aren’t welcome there. Because they’re bigoted racists.
But people are right in that the article shouldn’t have made direct references to Hanson or her ilk. Say something in passing, no names, and focus on the positives of the event and community.
I don’t feel unwelcome. I just can’t find a parking spot
Idiots online tried to say how multiculturalism doesn’t work as they dont feel welcomed and yet the few times ive been there were asians,whites, lots of non muslims etc
Also complaining how this goes for a month but Australia Day is one day, as if people got the whole month off work
Lakemba is different during night markets, lots of people attend and it’s great. But it is a bit weird during the day if you’re not from the main religion. Partner and I went apartment hunting there and felt like everyone was starring at us. We’ve lived in other neighborhoods with mostly Chinese and mostly Nepalese neighbors and had a great experience. Downvote away.
“[Revealed: Pauline’s Harrowing Trip Through Lakemba To Get On Gina Rhinehart’s Private Jet At Bankstown Airport](https://www.betootaadvocate.com/revealed-paulines-harrowing-trip-through-lakemba-to-get-on-gina-rhineharts-private-jet-at-bankstown-airport/)”
I am going to make it a fucking personal mission to go to the night markets this year.
I could understand a racist like Hanson feeling unwelcome there, for good reason. And in any other city in Australia. Everyone else is no doubt fine.
“If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside … without cover, and the cats come to eat it … whose fault is it, the cats’ or the uncovered meat’s? The uncovered meat is the problem. If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab [the headdress worn by some Muslim women], no problem would have occurred.”
These words were spoken at Lakemba mosque in defence of racially targeted child rapes. By the Grand Mufti of Islam in Australia. Not one Muslim called for his resignation.
As an Australian woman, I will never feel safe in Lakemba after that moment.
I thought Lakemba sounded familiar that is the suburb that has 1300 NDIS providers within a five km radius, one NDIS provider for every 13 residents.
Interesting contrast to this article also on the Guardian, from three years ago:
[‘It’s not ours any more’: the changing face of Lakemba’s Ramadan night markets](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/26/ramadan-2023-lakemba-night-markets-haldon-street-nights-festival-sydney-australia)
Love going to this. Just can’t get a park easily and pain in the butt to go on the train.