An attempted bombing at a protest in Western Australia’s capital in January has been labeled an act of terror by authorities. The incident occurred during a demonstration led by Indigenous Australians in central Perth on Australia Day. A 31-year-old man was arrested for allegedly throwing a homemade explosive device into the crowd.
WA Premier Roger Cook stated that the suspect’s actions were driven by a racist and hateful ideology. The man, charged with engaging in a terrorist act, is the first in the state’s history to face such charges. Police intervened after the device was thrown into a gathering of over 2,000 people.
The suspect was initially charged with possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances and endangering others’ lives. Further investigations led authorities to reclassify the incident as a terrorist act. The device, containing ball bearings and screws, was designed to cause harm upon detonation.
Authorities emphasized that the attack could have resulted in significant casualties if the device had exploded as intended. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch confirmed that there was no prior intelligence indicating the planned attack.
