Parliament House security has been bolstered after increased terror-related “chatter” among Australians with links to Islamic State extremists.
The move followed police raids across Brisbane and Sydney on Thursday resulting in the charging of four people, including one accused of plotting to kidnap members of the public and execute them on camera for propaganda purposes.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who will convene a cabinet national security committee meeting in Sydney on Friday, said parliament had been “specifically mentioned” as a possible attack target.
“There certainly has been chatter amongst the terrorist support networks of an attack on government and government people and Parliament House has been specifically mentioned,” he told ABC radio.
This had triggered a review of parliamentary security and led to AFP being placed in charge of security inside and outside the building.
Security is also being tightened around stadiums ahead of weekend football finals.
Police expect it will take patrons a little longer to get inside grounds.
Attorney-General George Brandis insists had police and ASIO not acted on Thursday an incident “would have happened within days”.
Abbott cut short an intensive visit to Arnhem Land to receive security briefings.
The police raids and public debate over the threat posed by Islamic extremists led protesters to gather at Lakemba train station in Sydney on Thursday night.
“Muslims are as much concerned about security and peace as everyone else,” Uthman Badar from Hizb ut-Tahrir told the crowd.
Abbott said Australian Muslims were “first-class citizens”.
The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, and leaders of a number of Muslim community organisations called for calm.
They have released a statement to “reassure all Australians that they have nothing to fear from their Muslim neighbours who want peace and security for everyone regardless of religion”.
The statement also said those arrested and charged in Thursday’s raids must be afforded the presumption of innocence so the judicial process could take its course without prejudice.
Muslims who suffer abuse or discrimination have been encouraged to post their stories to a new Facebook page.
“Fair-minded Australians should not allow bigots and media shock jocks to undermine the cohesion within society,” the Grand Mufti said.
Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek congratulated the Muslim community on its co-operation.
“Most of (ASIO’s) good intelligence comes from members of the Muslim community who are talking about family members or associates who are engaging in behaviour that is troubling to them,” she said.
Meanwhile, a contingent of Australian special forces and RAAF members are gathering in the United Arab Emirates ahead of being deployed to an international mission in Iraq to tackle Islamic State.
“We are ready to do what we must as a government and as a nation to keep our country safe, including deploying military forces in the Middle East to disrupt and degrade the activities of the ISIL death cult,” Abbott said.
New anti-terror laws to give ASIO greater investigation powers will be debated in parliament next week.
Brandis will also introduce a bill to deal with Australians who have gone overseas and joined militant groups.
