Australia’s new federal police chief has issued a warning to extremists stoking fears and violence at protests that they are prime targets as she overhauls the national police force to defend democracy from the chaos generated by both radical actors and rogue states such as Iran.

As debate erupted on the October 7 anniversary during her first week as the AFP’s top officer, Krissy Barrett said the Hamas attacks – and Israel’s response, labelled a genocide by the United Nations – triggered a steep rise in cases driven by ideological hatred.

“We are putting these groups on notice,” Barrett said in an interview at the force’s Canberra headquarters. “The way some of these groups are physically presenting at protests is causing fear.”

“You’re on our radar … and we will be using all of our c

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