March 5, 2025
Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson has formally requested that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) be listed as a terrorist organisation in Australia, following an incident at a Melbourne demonstration.
In a letter to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, Paterson highlighted a potential loophole in Australia’s Prohibited Hate Symbols legislation after the PFLP flag was reportedly displayed at a protest outside Victoria’s State Parliament last month.
The Australian Jewish News journalists were harassed by demonstrators after photographing the flag.
“Displaying the PFLP’s flag and symbols causes just as much concern and intimidation for members of the Jewish community as Hamas or Hezbollah,” Paterson wrote to Burke.
He noted that the organisation is already subject to Australian financial sanctions under UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism measures.
The PFLP is currently listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States, Canada, the European Union and Japan, but not under Australia’s Criminal Code.
Speaking to Sky News reporter Sharri Markson after the incident, Paterson said, “We have to make it very clear that it is a crime to display the flags of a terrorist organisation like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.”
The Opposition said the PFLP has a history of violence, including aircraft hijackings, the 2001 assassination of Israeli Minister Rehavam Ze’evi, the 2003 Christmas Day suicide bombings in Israel, and a 2014 attack on a Jerusalem synagogue.
He also cited the organisation’s reported involvement in the Hamas-led attacks on Israel and threats made against British troops supporting aid deliveries in Gaza in April 2024.
“The PFLP is well known as a terrorist organisation globally, and the fact that their flags are appearing on Australian streets should be a concern to everyone, most of all the police,” Senator Paterson told The AJN.
He argues that listing the PFLP would “unambiguously prevent the public display of their symbols” and criminalise membership and association with the group.
The AJN contacted Burke, and in response a spokesperson for the department said it would be inappropriate to comment on whether specific organisations are considered for listing.
Meanwhile, Paterson recently appeared at Caulfield Shule where he was interviewed by Markson about rising antisemitism and Australia’s response to this hatred.
The event, presented by the synagogue and Zionism Victoria, reportedly received several standing ovations from the audience, which almost filled the shule.
