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Posted: 2016-07-17 01:24:51

An Indigenous leader has shouted down Pauline Hanson, calling her a "racist redneck" at an art fair in far north Queensland.  

Tensions rose after the incoming Queensland senator arrived unannounced with a 60 Minutes film crew at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair on Saturday.

Pauline Hanson fields Aboriginal leader attack

The incident in Cairns is gaining momentum on social media after it was captured in a video clip. (Video courtesy ABC News 24)

As she walked down a set of stairs about 2.30pm, Murrandoo Yanner began to yell at her loudly.

"You picked on Aboriginal people, now you are kicking the Muslims around," he said.

"You are just a racist redneck with your red hair. Go away, go back to Ipswich and your fish and chip shop.

"You're a disgraceful, you are a woman lacking moral fibre, you are intellectually dishonest and you are not welcome here."

A large group of people watching then broke out into applause, with some cheering and whistling.

The incident was filmed and posted on Facebook several hours later where it quickly went viral. 

Pauline Hanson was labelled a 'racist redneck' by an Indigenous leader when she attended an art fair in Cairns.
Pauline Hanson was labelled a 'racist redneck' by an Indigenous leader when she attended an art fair in Cairns. Photo: Tertius Pickard

By 11am on Sunday morning, it had been watched almost 100,000 times, shared more than 14,000 times and liked more than 22,000 times.

Ms Hanson, who maintained a forced smile throughout the clip, appeared to turn around and face the man at one stage, but turned back and kept walking. 

A spokeswoman for the art fair, who saw the incident unfold, said she was surprised the One Nation party leader didn't stop to engage with the man.

"She made no attempt to respond to him. Most other politicians would have," she said.

Ms Hanson then walked around the fair ground, stopping to talk with people and hold a baby in front of the cameras. 

The tension remained high, with some patrons asking what she was doing at the Indigenous event, the spokeswoman said. 

"It was a tense feeling in the crowd. They were certainly on their toes," she said.

The spokeswoman said the 60 Minutes crew had not sought accreditation before arriving to film at the event, causing concern for organisers. 

Ms Hanson has made a political comeback after being elected to the senate in the July 2 federal election.

She used her maiden speech when elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 to criticise Aboriginal land rights, welfare and reconciliation.   

More recently, she called for a ban on Muslim immigration to Australia after the Orlando nightclub shooting in America last month.

Ms Hanson has declined to comment on the incident.

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