World leaders rally in France's largest ever rally following the terrorist attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo

World leaders rally in France's largest ever rally following the terrorist attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo

QUEENSLAND cartoonist Larry Pickering has been placed under police guard after he posted material on his website in response to the Paris terror attacks.

The cartoon depicts the Muslim prophet Mohammed as a pig on a spit being skewered with a giant pencil.

The pencil became the international symbol of unity and free speech in the wake of the terror attack in Paris last week on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo where two gunmen murdered 12 people and injured 15 more.

Mr Pickering, who is a four-time Walkley award-winning cartoonist, told News Ltd on Tuesday the first he knew of any threat was when police turned up to his Gold Coast home at the weekend.

He said despite now being placed under high-priority protective surveillance he had no plans to stop posting material to his website.

"The police were good with me and asked that if I was planning on running anything else to forewarn them," Mr Pickering said.

"I guess they must have picked up some intelligence or chatter after I did the cartoon.

"They gave me their details and special phone numbers and said if I call they will be there in minutes.

"I am standing up for free speech ... if you do not do that then you have already lost the board game."

The controversial cartoon has been shared hundreds of times across social media and has generated hundreds of comments on Mr Pickering's website, pickeringpost.com/cartoons, mostly in support of his stance.

- APN NEWSDESK