In recent weeks, the terror threat at home suddenly felt real. People are talking about it at the pub, at the cafe, on the bus.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott is making plans, Australian Security Intelligence Organization is lifting the terror alert level and rolling out new spy laws, terrorism suspects are being arrested and people are looking suspiciously at their neighbors.
Abbott said 60 Australians have had their passports cancelled as they are suspected of wanting to go and fight for ISIS or a related group in Syria, while 100 people in Australia are supporting ISIS through funding or other methods.
“These are quite significant numbers, because as we’ve seen, it only takes one or two people to commit a brutal terrorist atrocity,” Abbott said in a media conference on Thursday.
“It only took two people to murder that unfortunate British soldier in the streets of London a year ago. It doesn’t take many people to commit an act of terrorism. As I have said a few times lately, all you need is a knife, an iPhone and a victim. That’s why it’s absolutely imperative that at all times, and in every way, our government remains vigilant.”
Protests and public outbreaks like the one in this video are breaking out more frequently.