Australian police have charged a 31-year-old man with terrorism over the alleged attempted bombing of an Invasion Day rally in central Perth, accusing him of acting out of racially motivated, extremist ideology after accessing “pro-white” material online.
Authorities say the attack, which targeted a peaceful protest attended largely by Aboriginal people and their supporters, narrowly avoided becoming a mass-casualty event.
First Terrorism Charge of Its Kind in Western Australia
At a joint press conference on Thursday, Western Australian Premier Roger Cook said it was the first time terrorism charges had been laid in the state under such circumstances.
“We must condemn this in the strongest possible terms and call this for what it is,”
Cook said.
“Last Monday on January 26, a man allegedly threw a homemade bomb into a crowd of people peacefully protesting in the heart of Perth city. Thankfully it did not detonate, but for that we could have seen injuries and potential loss of life.”
Cook said the charge alleges the attack was motivated by “hateful, racist ideology” and specifically targeted Aboriginal people and other demonstrators.
Alleged Attack at Forrest Place Rally
About 2,500 people were gathered at Forrest Place in Perth’s CBD on 26 January when the man allegedly threw what police described as a homemade “fragment bomb” from a balcony of a nearby shopping centre into the crowd.
Western Australia Police allege the device was designed to explode on impact but failed to detonate.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioner, Krissy Barrett, said the device was thrown at 12:18pm, and that the AFP and ASIO were engaged in the investigation within 36 minutes.
Police Say Device ‘Should Have Gone Off’
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said investigators believe the fuse on the device had been lit.
“It should have gone off,”
Blanch said.
“It had a fuse that was lit—whether it fell out or failed, we allege it was lit. Whatever stopped it from going off that day, we should all be thankful.”
Blanch described the incident as “a terrorist attack on all Australians,” adding that the potential consequences were devastating.
“We should all be thankful that we don’t have deceased or seriously injured people in Western Australia today.”
Charges Escalated After Terrorism Threshold Met
The man, from Perth’s northern suburbs, was arrested at the scene and initially charged with:
- committing an unlawful act with intent to harm
- making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances
He appeared in court last week and was remanded in custody, with a further court appearance scheduled for 17 February.
Following further investigation, police escalated the matter to terrorism charges.
Barrett outlined the legal threshold for a terrorism offence, which requires:
- An act that causes or threatens serious harm to life, public safety, or infrastructure
- Intent to advance a political, religious, or ideological cause
- Intent to coerce or intimidate the public or a section of the public
Police allege all three elements are present in this case.
Alleged Self-Radicalisation and Online Extremism
Blanch said investigators believe the man acted alone and was self-radicalised through online extremist content.
“We will allege he accessed pro-white male, pro-white material online,”
Blanch said, adding that while his digital footprint showed no evidence of coordination with extremist groups, the ideology was “prevalent across his internet use.”
Police also allege the man accessed bomb-making information online.
Asked whether the suspect had links to the National Socialist Network or other far-right organisations, Blanch said there was no evidence of direct involvement, but that the ideology itself was embedded in his online activity.
Warning Over Rising Ideological Violence
Barrett said investigators did not believe there was any ongoing risk to the community, but warned the case reflects a broader and growing threat.
“This press conference is as much an update as a warning,”
she said.
“There are individuals and emerging groups across Australia who are eroding our social fabric by advocating hatred, fear, and humiliation—and mobilising towards violence.”
She directly addressed First Nations people at the rally.
“You have the right to peacefully protest in this country without facing threats of violence,”
Barrett said, pledging that law enforcement would use “all powers and resources” to prevent hate-fuelled attacks.
Community Response and Call for Unity
Blanch said he had met repeatedly with Noongar elders and community leaders following the incident and praised their leadership.
“It is not a time for hate or blame,”
he said.
“It is a time for unity.”
“There’s one person responsible—a person who will have their day in court.”
Noongar elders and rally organisers were scheduled to meet police again on Thursday afternoon.
First Terrorism Case Targeting First Nations Community
Both Blanch and Barrett confirmed this was the first incident to meet the terrorism threshold that specifically targeted the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community since the relevant laws were introduced.
Speaking in federal parliament, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said it was “fortunate” the device failed to explode, but emphasised the seriousness of the alleged intent.
“Be in no doubt,”
Burke said,
“it will be alleged in court that the intention was absolutely that the bomb would detonate.”
Burke also addressed criticism over the time taken to formally lay terrorism charges, saying investigators needed to establish ideological motivation.
“Terrorism is not defined simply by the action but also by the motivation,”
he said.
“The motivation alleged is a nationally racially motivated ideological cause.”
Authorities Urge Public Vigilance
Blanch urged members of the public to speak up if they believe someone is becoming radicalised.
“To be filled with hate and racism is unacceptable,”
he said.
“If you know about it, say something.”
“We should never see this in our country.”
