Perth rally attack labelled terrorism as Australia confronts extremist violence

Australian authorities have formally declared an attempted bombing at an Indigenous rights rally in Perth an act of terrorism, elevating what could have been dismissed as a failed attack into one of the most serious criminal cases under federal law.

The Western Australia Joint Counter Terrorism Team said on Thursday that a 31-year-old man has been charged after allegedly removing a “home-made improvised explosive device” from his bag and throwing it into a crowd during a rally in Perth’s central business district on January 26. The device did not detonate, and no one was physically injured among the several thousand people attending the demonstration.

The rally was held in support of First Nations people and formed part of nationwide “Invasion Day” protests, which coincide with Australia Day and focus on the historical dispossession of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Had the device exploded, police said, the consequences could have been catastrophic.

If convicted, the accused faces the possibility of life imprisonment. Authorities said he will remain in custody until his next court appearance on February 17 at the Perth Magistrates Court.

Western Australia Premier Roger Cook said the charges mark a significant legal and political moment for the state. Speaking to reporters, he urged the public to clearly condemn the alleged act.

“This charge … alleges the attack on Aboriginal people and other peaceful protesters was motivated by hateful, racist ideology,” Cook said. “This is the first time this charge has been laid in Western Australia.”

The framing of the case as terrorism reflects how seriously authorities are treating the incident, not only as a matter of public safety but as an ideological attack on a specific community. On Tuesday, Malarndirri McCarthy echoed that view, describing the attempted bombing as an assault on the fabric of Australian society.

“The Albanese Government condemns this sickening and abhorrent incident,” she said in a Senate statement, according to Indigenous News Australia. “An attack on First Nations Australians is an attack on all Australians. First Nations Australians, like all Australians, must be able to gather peacefully without fearing for our safety. There is no place for hate, intimidation or racism of any form in Australia.”

Police also used the announcement to underline what legally constitutes terrorism under the Commonwealth Criminal Code. According to the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, prosecutors must show that an act causes or threatens serious harm, advances a political, religious or ideological cause, and is intended to coerce a government or intimidate the public or a specific group. Investigators believe those elements are met in this case.

The alleged targeting of an Indigenous rally comes against a broader backdrop of persistent inequality and vulnerability faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including disparities in health, education and incarceration rates, as well as a documented history of racially motivated violence.

Those issues were thrust into the national spotlight again in December 2022 after the alleged murder of 15-year-old Cassius Turvey, an Indigenous teenager from Western Australia. Cassius, a member of the Noongar Nation, was walking home from school with friends when he was attacked with a metal pole in what police described as a “vicious attack”. He died 10 days later from his injuries, forcing a reckoning with what experts at the time called “deeply entrenched” racism in Australian society.