Victoria’s top cop has warned that religious radicalism remains the greatest public security threat despite the rise of right-wing extremist activity around the country.
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said countering potentially religious-inspired violent activity remained the No.1 focus for Victoria Police’s Counter-Terrorism Command.
Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton alongside Premier Jacinta Allan in May.Credit: Simon Schluter
“For us, religiously motivated violent extremism is still the highest risk, but it is increasingly with right-wing extremism and their ideologies. Everyone talks about ISIS and how it’s gone, but they’re still influential.”
The comments come after ASIO raised the nation’s threat assessment on August 5 from “possible” to “probable” for the first time since 2014.
No specific threat was detailed as the reason for the change. The spy agency noted it was not in direct response to months of violence in the Middle East, but said the conflict had resonated in Australia.
A “probable” rating suggests there is a greater than 50 per cent chance of an onshore attack or attack planning in the next 12 months, according to ASIO.
“ASIO is observing the emergence of domestic actors increasingly driven to action by socio-political issues, intersecting with personal grievances,” the threat notice said.
“There is an increase in extremism, fuelled by conspiracy theories and anti-authority ideologies. Some actors hold a blend of ideologies, including those that justify acts of violence to influence change.”
Patton said right-wing extremism was “certainly … one of our significant concerns”.
“We’ve seen a lot of extremist views, extremist ideologies right across the nation emerging. We’ve seen that play out even in the attendance at demonstrations and the like.
“What [does that mean] for us? It means just an increased vigilance. Obviously, we’re not having to change anything we’ve been doing. It just means enhancing and focusing on those specific groups a bit more.”
Patton said authorities were now running sophisticated programs to counter religious extremism and right-wing extremism.
The state’s top-ranked police officer also shut down claims that Victoria Police had been calling for a licensing or permit system for demonstrations in public places and agreed protests were the “cost of democracy”.
“We looked at this to a degree. I don’t have a firm view, really. The reality is, if people feel strongly enough about an issue, they’re going to come and protest whether they’ve got a permit or not. It’s not something that I’m focused on at the moment.”
Patton said Victoria Police had made no representations to the state government about creating a licensing regime, and the state government had not sought to discuss the issue with police.
But he did say the massive rise in protest activity had been straining police resources.
Victoria Police has recorded 465 rallies and protests in Melbourne since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 last year and the start of Israel’s 10-month war in the Gaza Strip.
“That’s not even taking into account all of the other protests we have with the right and the left, and the issue-motivated groups,” Patton said.
“The whole social cohesion thing that flows from that – it’s created a real pressure environment, both within the community, but also demands on policing as well.”
John Silvester lifts the lid on Australia’s criminal underworld. Subscribers can sign up to receive his Naked City newsletter every Thursday.