Commissioner Virginia Bell was forced to step in after backlash to a question by the legal counsel of a pro-Palestinian advocacy group. Kelly Mischel is Victoria's commissioner for preventing and countering violent extremism in the state's prison system. The number of individuals referred to programs after accessing extremist material online had risen in the past three years, she said. Commissioner Bell attempted to defuse tensions the next day, saying Ms Mathur "did not hijack this royal commission" as some had suggested. Further hearings on Monday will continue to focus on the causes of radicalisation and how to combat it.