Drew Pavlou – Taking on Authoritarianism at Home and Abroad

By John Ogilvie

In the space of just six years, Drew Pavlou has become one of the most high-profile youth political activists in Australia. He has gone from being a relatively low-profile student activist to being quoted by international political and social heavyweights like Elon Musk and JD Vance. Drew’s rise to prominence came through confrontation with one of the world’s most powerful authoritarian regimes: the Chinese Communist Party.

Early Life

Born in 1999, Drew grew up in Queensland. His paternal grandparents moved from Greece to Australia in the 1960s and gradually built up a series of hospitality and grocery shops. Despite struggling with ADHD , Drew successfully completed high school and later enrolled at the University of Queensland where he began a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Philosophy.

The Spark That Lit the Fuse

In July 2019, Drew organised a demonstration at the University of Queensland in solidarity with the Hong Kong democracy movement. This was at the same time as massive protests were taking place in Hong Kong against the Chinese Government’s crackdown on Hong Kong’s political system and civil liberties.

During Drew’s demonstration, several men approached and started to violently assault him and the other demonstrators. The people who attacked Drew were revealed to be pro-CCP students, and Drew had been named by the Global Times (A CCP propaganda outlet) as the main organiser of the demonstration. The following day, Chinese Consul General Xu Jie sent out a press release congratulating the students who attacked Drew.

In a shocking turn of events, the University chose to suspend Drew. At the time, UQ had a very lucrative arrangement with China, with the Chinese Government funding at least four courses on offer at the institution. UQ’s Vice Chancellor at the time had also previously served as a consultant to Hanban, a Beijing-based group responsible for overseeing China’s Confucius Institutes all over the world. To top it off, UQ had appointed Xu Jie as an adjunct professor in 2019.

Drew went on to appeal the decision , and his suspension was ultimately reduced. This didn’t deter him from carrying on his work as a political activist. While the CCP may have hoped that suspending Drew would cause him to fade away, it achieved the exact opposite effect. Drew’s case made international news and shone a light on Chinese Government involvement in higher education in the West.

In December 2021 Drew formed his own political party , the Drew Pavlou Democratic Alliance, which contested the 2022 Australian federal election. Even thought it was unsuccessful in securing any seats, it helped to raise Pavlou’s profile even more.

Political Activities Abroad

At the July 2022 Wimbledon Championships in London, Drew staged a demonstration by yelling out, “Where is Peng Shuai” and wearing t-shirts with the same phrase along with a number of other people. This was in reference to the Chinese tennis player, who disappeared in November 2021 after accusing a high-ranking CCP member of sexual assault.

Later that month, Drew was arrested by the Metropolitan Police while protesting outside the Chinese Embassy. The arrest was made because of a bomb threat directed at the Chinese Embassy by someone claiming to be Drew. The threat was sent from a ProtonMail address and had clearly been set up as a throw-away account by someone attempting to frame Drew for terrorism.

Drew was ultimately released , and no charges were filed. Rather than discrediting Pavlou, this case served to highlight the issue of how authoritarian regimes target activists and critics abroad.

Visiting a War Zone

In 2025, Drew went to the frontlines of the Russo-Ukrainian War as part of an international delegation studying drone warfare. Their intention was to raise awareness of the conflict and the technological developments taking place. They were also accompanied by Paul Lehmann, Australia’s ambassador to Ukraine. During this trip, drew visited multiple combat areas, and at one point was forced to hide in a trench for more than an hour to avoid a Russian drone. At one point, Drew came to within one kilometer of a Russian military position.

This visit significantly raised Drew’s profile as someone who is not only outspoken but also prepared to put himself at serious physical risk for the causes that he believes in.

The Power of New Media

Drew’s journey has been marked by setbacks, hostility, and even attempts at intimidation. But each time, he has emerged more prominent than before. His story highlights the growing trend of grassroots activists using social media to raise their profiles and challenge authoritarianism.

Using new media technologies, Drew Pavlou has carved out a place in the Australian political landscape, and without the use of established political parties or traditional media outlets.

Whether he remains a political activist or takes another stab at entering parliament, one thing is clear: Drew isn’t going away anytime soon.