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The PM is finally coming home. 13-year-old Izzy and hundreds of others have been waiting for him.

 

13-year-old Izzy sobbed, clutching her handmade sign, as a police officer crouched down and read out her rights.

“I am directing you, and your father, to cease your actions which are preventing police from reopening this closed road.

“This road was temporarily closed in accordance to the Road Transport Act to allow your safe movement.

“I now direct you to move off this closed roadway so we can reopen the road. Should you fail to comply with my direction you may be arrested – force may be used.

“Do you understand Izzy?”

“Yes” she replied, before walking away from the officer, holding her sign high in the air.

You can watch that interaction here. Post continues after video.

Video by River McCrossen

As the little girl and her dad left their protesting post outside the Prime Minister’s Kirribilli residence, the cheers of fellow protestors followed them.

“Look at what you’ve left us. Watch us fight it. Watch us win,” Izzy’s sign read, her protest reminiscent of the feelings of lots of young climate change warriors all led by their hero, Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, who has rallied the globe to join her protests this year.

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As public anger has grown about the Prime Minister’s absence during the bushfire emergency, hundreds yesterday set up camp outside his home.

“Where the bloody hell are ya?,” was the more lighthearted sentiment, while signs reading “How dare you” told the angrier side of the story.

They vowed to stay put until Scott Morrison returned, which is what he’s now decided to do. The Prime Minister has called his family holiday in Hawaii short and is coming home – the announcement was made as news of the deaths of two volunteer firefighters broke this morning.

Deputy Captain Geoffrey Keaton, 32, and firefighter Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, were killed when their fire truck rolled, after a falling tree struck the cabin of their vehicle last night.

“I deeply regret any offence caused to any of the many Australians affected by the terrible bushfires by my taking leave with family at this time,” The Prime Minister said in a statement.

“I have been receiving regular updates on the bushfires disaster as well as the status of the search for and treatment of the victims of the White Island tragedy.”

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Izzy’s tears have gone viral on social media, and The Financial Review reports she lost her house in the current disaster – adding a very personal pain to her appearance outside the Prime Minister’s home.

In another video uploaded to Twitter, Izzy’s father tells the camera “she’s a little shook” after her run-in with police.

“We weren’t doing anything wrong,” she said.

“They’re being cowards by pushing us away. And Scott Morrison isn’t even here to say anything.”

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Ten people, including NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge and a child, were arrested for disobeying a police direction to move on.

Shoebridge will face court in the new year for his part in the protest – he says he was there in solidarity for the kids who he says “were just sitting in the cul-de-sac”.

“They weren’t blocking access or getting in the way,” he told SBS, adding that “I think it’s important that at least one politician came out to support them.”

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Our Prime Minister couldn’t stop the fires before his holiday, and it’s unlikely that his return will have any impact on the crises before us.

But when children are protesting about a lack of leadership in the face of disaster, and ordinary firefighters’ families are questioning when their break will come, we have to wonder if Scott Morrison’s popularity can survive the literal heat of this moment.

The kid’s signs yesterday, which they held defiantly outside his residence, shared messages of fear.

“When do our firefighters get a holiday Scomo?”

“Come home and face the firies.”

“Every person in this country must do their bit.”

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