Governments fight to ban symbols of hate

This article is Part 1 of The Mandarin’s special three-part series for Premium subscribers on extremism, “Radical Thinking”. Part 2 looks at the role of ASIO in protecting Australians. Part 3 examines the impact extremist content has on those who consume it as part of their work.

Extremism and radicalisation will occupy the minds of politicians and many others this year, with a powerful parliamentary committee due to restart deliberations in Canberra.

Recent events concerning the potential threat of extremist individuals and groups will undoubtedly be top of mind when the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) considers its renewed terms of reference.

• The question of repatriation for women and children from Syria with links to Islamic State fighters raises the spectre of whether those brought back constitute a security risk.
• Right-wing protesters in Brazil mimicking the January 6 insurrection in the United States increase concerns about far-right activism in countries with democratic traditions.
• The murder of three people – including two police officers...