‘Far-right’ Australian man charged with planning terror attacks
An Australian man, reportedly linked to anti-Islam and anti-refugee groups, has been arrested on charges of planning terror attacks in the country.
Phillip Galea appeared in court in Melbourne on Sunday after he was charged with acts done in preparation for terrorist attacks and collecting or making documents likely to facilitate acts of terror.
Police said the 31-year-old man had been taken into custody following a series of counter-terrorism raids on the defendant’s neighborhood due to an “escalating threat” posed to the community.
“The individual in custody has a number of affiliations to different organizations,” police said, adding that Galea is believed to be a member of Reclaim Australia, a far-right extremist group opposed to Islam and immigration.
Galea will remain in detention until his next appearance in court on August 9.
“I will be fighting these charges and I believe they are a conspiracy against the patriot movement,” Galea said during the court hearing.
Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, has been the scene of sporadic clashes during counter-rallies held by supporters of left-wing and far-right groups.
The demonstrators representing Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front (UPF) activism groups oppose what they call “Islamization” of Australia as well as an open-door policy in dealing with refugees.
Supporters of left-wing groups, however, say refugees are welcome in Australia, arguing that anti-Islam sentiment is divisive and racist.
In May, Australia’s Immigration Minister Peter Dutton sparked angry reactions after warning about the inrush into the country of “illiterate” and “innumerate” refugees.
“For many people, they won’t be numerate or literate in their own language let alone English, and this is a difficulty,” he said, adding such refugees would be either hogging local jobs or staying unemployed and on welfare.
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