Australia intelligence chief warns of potential for violence at home as Middle East tensions rise

The head of Australia’s domestic intelligence agency on Thursday warned about the potential for opportunistic violence and called for calm as tensions rise ahead of a planned pro-Palestinian protest in response to the Israel-Hamas war.

In rare public statement, Mike Burgess, head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) said protests and rallies following the attacks by Hamas are likely to continue and he remained concerned about the potential for opportunistic violence.

A pro-Palestinian rally outside the city’s iconic Opera House on Monday ignited a heated debate after a small group were filmed chanting “gas the Jews”. Organisers said those filmed were a fringe group of “vile” antisemites who had been told to leave.

Read more: Reuters