"Let her have some dignity". Why Australians are defending Renae Lawrence against the media.

Freed Bali Nine drug smuggler Renae Lawrence has garnered sympathy from some Australians after being hounded by the media as she touched down on home soil for the first time in more than 13 years.

Dozens of reporters, photographers and camera crews were waiting as the 41-year-old flew in to Brisbane airport early on Thursday morning after being released from a Bali prison overnight.

TV morning shows crossed live to the airport as an anxious looking Lawrence, her mother and step-brother, dodged the media pack as they made their way from the international arrivals hall to the domestic terminal so they could board a flight to Newcastle.

Chaotic scenes at Brisbane airport this morning as Bali Nine drug smuggler Renae Lawrence arrived back in Australia. pic.twitter.com/15gMAg5c6o

— SBS News (@SBSNews) November 21, 2018

Bali Nine drug mule Renae Lawrence has stayed silent as she made her way through the media storm at Brisbane airport this morning. #9Today pic.twitter.com/uW8t1F0KZp

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) November 21, 2018

The media coverage left many viewers less than impressed and sparked calls for Lawrence to be left alone as she had already served more than 13 years in jail for her role in a 2005 plot to import more than 8kg of heroin to Australia from Indonesia.

Many took to social media to accuse the media of harassing Lawrence and question whether there was actually any public interest in the return of a convicted drug smuggler.

“Given Renae has completed her sentence of 13 years which is substantially more than she would receive in Australia and has made it clear she does not want to speak to the media, at what point does that behaviour from the media become bullying and abuse,” Peter Bax tweeted.

Former broadcaster Mike Carlton blasted the media scrum.

Hey gang ! Let’s all pile on to Renae Lawrence. Stick microphones and cameras in her face, chase her down the street, camp outside her house. Not because there’s any news in it…but just because WE CAN ! https://t.co/LmMt3SyyGi

— Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) November 21, 2018

Former Greens leader Christine Milne called on the media to leave Lawrence alone and cover other more worthy stories.

Leave Renae Lawrence alone #auspol. Decent people don’t want her subjected to media scrums and stake outs. Earth is burning, that is news.

— Christine Milne (@ChristineMilne) November 21, 2018

While Nine’s Today Show and Seven’s Sunrise programs attracted plenty of outrage on Twitter for their coverage of Lawrence, several viewers of the ABC’s News Breakfast program attacked the public broadcaster for “hounding” Lawrence.

@abcnews @BreakfastNews Instead of insisting Renae Lawrence have some ‘dignity’ why don’t your reporters display it and stop hounding her like the commercial networks?

— Diana Gaye (@gaye_diana) November 21, 2018

@LaTrioli shame on the ABC for harassing Renae Lawrence and her family at the airport. As Bad as Current Affair style journalism Not up to your standards surely

— Linda Betts (@aquariusproject) November 21, 2018

@abcnews absolutely laughable that you talk about Renae Lawrence not having money to hire security to protect her from the media and then you harass her, YOU ARE THE MEDIA, she has served her time, revolting behaviour from ABC and all other outlets

— Jacob James (@jacobpjames80) November 21, 2018

Hey Australian media. You’re a shit show. Leave Renae Lawrence alone. Vipers.

— Dancing Dan (@DancingDanB) November 21, 2018