Members of Victoria’s far-Right slapped with firearm prohibition orders, with more to come
A handful of Victorian far-Right organisation members have been banned from having guns as Victoria Police intensifies its monitoring of political extremists in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack — and further bans are likely to be served.
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A handful of Victorian far-Right organisation members have been banned from having guns as Victoria Police intensifies its monitoring of more than a dozen political extremists in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack.
The Herald Sun understands that a number of individuals who hold far-Right wing views are on firearm prohibition orders, with more bans likely to be served in the coming months.
The increased monitoring of the far-Right comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today announce social media executives will face jail time for livestreaming extreme violence such as the Christchurch massacre, in which 50 people were killed.
THE GROWING TERROR THREAT LOOMING OVER VICTORIA
ST KILDA RALLY FAR-RIGHT EXTREMISTS CONDEMNED
Australian man Brenton Tarrant livestreamed his attack on worshippers at two mosques on March 15, which was then widely shared on Facebook.
Following the attack, Victoria Police has revealed it is monitoring more than a dozen people on the extreme Right who are at risk of engaging in politically motivated violence.
Firearm prohibition orders, which allow police to conduct searches without warrants if they believe the prohibited person is holding a firearm, on far-Right figures have already been put in place.
At least one man who was associated with the True Blue Crew, an anti-Muslim group that organised a number of marches leading to violent street clashes with Left-wing opponents, had complained to associates that he was put on a gun ban.
The prohibition orders carry a 10-year prison term for breaches.
As the Herald Sun first revealed last week, the government is drafting new laws creating fines and criminal offences for platforms, such as Facebook, Google and Twitter, that do not remove “abhorrent violent material” as soon as possible.
RISE IN EXTREMIST VIEWS STALKING OUR SUBURBS
EXTREMISTS PLAN ‘CRONULLA-STYLE’ RIOTS
Mr Morrison, who will meet with social media executives today, said the government was considering “all options to keep Australians safe”.
“We need to prevent social media platforms being weaponised with terror content,” the PM said.
“If social media companies fail to demonstrate a willingness to immediately institute changes to prevent the use of their platforms, like what was filmed and shared by the perpetrator of the terrible offences in Christchurch, we will take action.”
The new laws will make it a criminal offence to not remove footage as soon as possible after it is reported or made known to the company.
“We have intensified our monitoring of some individuals,” Victoria Police counter-terrorism command Assistant Commissioner Ross Guenther said.