Attempted Bombing of Perth ‘Invasion Day’ Protest Deemed Terrorist Act

The alleged attempt to bomb an Invasion Day rally in Perth has been designated a terrorist act by authorities.

A 31-year-old man was charged last week after police alleged he threw a “fragment bomb” filled with ball bearings and screws at a 2,500-strong crowd gathered in central Perth on Jan. 26.

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook said it marks the first time such a charge has been laid in Western Australia, and could have caused a large number of deaths.

“This charge … alleges the attack on Aboriginal people and other peaceful protesters was motivated by hateful, racist ideology,” Cook said at a press conference on Feb. 5.

He said the incident had caused widespread anxiety, adding that Australians had a right to protest peacefully without fear of violence.

The man’s identity has been suppressed due to concerns for his safety while he remains before the courts. He is facing charges including intent to do harm and making or possessing explosives.

AFP Warns Extremism Is Spreading

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett Barrett said the case reflected a broader national security concern, warning that individuals and emerging groups were contributing to social division.

Barrett said a newly established national security investigations team would be created in Western Australia.

“You have the right to peacefully protest in this country without facing threats of violence. This is a key principle of democracy in Australia,” Barrett said.

“The Australian Federal Police, our security, and law enforcement partners will use all our powers, capabilities, and resources to ensure hate and violence are not used as weapons to silence communities.”

For days, left-leaning political leaders have called for action.

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe called it a “serious attack” on Indigenous people.

“First Peoples need to know that the government is taking this seriously and that real action will be taken to prevent it happening again. We need a full investigation into the policing and intelligence failures that put our people and supporters at risk,” she said in a statement.

Separate Alleged Terror Plot in Queensland

The Perth case is not the only recent terror-related incident.

A 24-year-old man was accused of planning to throw a Molotov cocktail at an Australia Day crowd on the Gold Coast, as part of what police allege was a plot to overthrow the government.

The man was arrested and charged with one count of acts done in preparation for, or planning, terrorist acts.

Authorities have not suggested the two cases are linked.