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This was published 1 year ago
Islamic State flag flown over 300 times in NSW in last six years
The black and white flag of terrorist group Islamic State has been displayed 305 times in NSW since 2015, according to internal police data on incidents and reports.
The number of recorded displays of the flag peaked at 142 in 2015, dropping to 45 in 2017, 22 in 2019, and persisting in smaller numbers this year. Police recorded eight relevant reports or events in 2020 and the same again so far this year.
An Islamic State flag, pictured here in 2019 in one of the group’s last strongholds in Syria, has been flown in NSW. Credit: AP
The vast majority were reported across Sydney, especially the north-western and south-western metropolitan areas, although a handful of incidents was recorded in other parts of NSW.
The data also indicated the flag of Hezbollah, the Shiite political and militant group based in Lebanon, was displayed 49 times since 2015.
The federal government designated the entirety of Hezbollah, rather just its militant wing, as a terrorist group earlier this month, along with neo-Nazi group The Base.
Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh, came to prominence in 2011 and established control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria.
While the group was beaten back by US-led coalition forces and declared defeated by 2019, remnants of the group survive in the Middle East and other regions.
The NSW Police data was provided to State Parliament in response to questions from Labor police and counter-terrorism spokesman Walt Secord.
“These figures are absolutely shocking and these flags represent total evil. Those who fly or display these flags hate everything a fair society stands for,” he said.
He said a number of European countries have bans on the Islamic State symbol and urged Attorney-General Mark Speakman to follow suit.
Former premier Mike Baird indicated in 2014 that the flag should be prohibited, but the government did not follow through on the idea.
“NSW Police should have the power to arrest and detain anyone carrying these flags,” Mr Secord said.
“Other than a film or for academic purposes, I do not see a reason for any public display of a black flag in NSW.”
In April, the Australian Federal Police backed criminalisation of the public display of terrorism-linked flags.
In September, NSW Labor announced its intention to introduce legislation imposing a maximum penalty of six months in prison for publicly displaying Nazi symbols, following a similar move in Victoria.
NSW counter-terrorism police have 1000 people deemed to present some level of concern, with ideological extremists adding to the threat posed by religious extremists.
Of the suspected extremists across four tiers attracting some level of police monitoring about 80, on the two highest levels, are being closely tracked as posing a violent threat to the community.
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