Policymakers to look more closely at radicalisation in wake of in Wieambilla murders

Published December 19, 2022 By admin with Comments 1

Policymakers are already flagging they will look more closely at radicalisation following the horrific murders in Wieambilla.

Gareth, Nathaniel and Stacey Train killed two Queensland police officers – Constable Rachel McCrow and Constable Matthew Arnold – and local man Alan Dare in what cannot be described as anything other than a planned course of action and an act of terrorism.

These actions taken by the Trains — themselves killed by law enforcement later that same day in a firefight — were in line with various ideological positions they adopted that incorporated a blend of anti-government, anti-law enforcement and anti-vaccination views that had been reflected in social media posts and videos.

Add to this cocktail of perspectives the various conspiracy theories, a pinch of sovereign citizen ideology, fringe religious or spiritual beliefs and a survivalist mindset evidenced by the Trains’ move to live off the power grid, arm themselves and fortify their property.

They had prepared to kill, and they had claimed responsibility for their actions in a video first reported on by Cameron Wilson in The Mandarin’s sister publication, Crikey.

The claiming of responsibility for terrorist acts by individuals, cells or organisations is a common feature of terrorist operations that have at their core an ideological or political objective.

One of the issues highlighted by commentators since the tragic events of December 12 is the role of radicalisation — the process of people adopting or getting others to adopt radical views — plays in these situations. Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil spoke to this theme in her contribution to the condolence motion to the two police officers and Dare in the federal parliament.

Content retrieved from: https://www.themandarin.com.au/208988-policymakers-to-look-more-closely-at-radicalisation-in-wake-of-in-wieambilla-murders/.