By Jonathan Ferreira
A 31-year-old man has been charged with a terrorism offence after allegedly throwing a homemade explosive device at an Aboriginal protest in Perth last month, Australian authorities have confirmed.
The incident occurred during a large demonstration opposing the celebration of Australia Day, which many Indigenous Australians refer to as Invasion Day. Around 2,500 people had gathered in central Perth when the man allegedly hurled the device into the crowd.
Police say the bomb was filled with ball bearings and screws and had its fuse lit, but it failed to detonate. Authorities described the incident as a narrowly avoided “mass casualty event”, warning that serious injuries or deaths could have occurred if the device had exploded.
The suspect was initially charged with committing an unlawful act with intent to cause harm and possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances. On Thursday, those charges were escalated to include a terrorism offence, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Police said this marks the first time terrorism charges have been laid in Western Australia.
The man’s identity has been suppressed by the courts for his own safety. Western Australian Premier Roger Cook said investigators allege the attack was motivated by racist and hateful ideology, describing it as a targeted act against Aboriginal people and peaceful protesters.
Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the suspect acted alone and was “self-radicalised”, adding that there had been no prior intelligence warning of the attack. Investigators allege the man had accessed pro-white extremist material online.
Australian Federal Police and the domestic intelligence agency Asio were brought into the investigation shortly after the incident to assess whether there was any ongoing threat to the public. Authorities have since said there is no evidence of further planned attacks.
The accused remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on 17 February.
