{"id":459263,"date":"2026-02-05T04:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T04:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/459263\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T04:01:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T04:01:11","slug":"perth-invasion-day-rally-attempted-bombing-declared-terrorist-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/459263\/","title":{"rendered":"Perth Invasion Day rally attempted bombing declared terrorist act"},"content":{"rendered":"

The attempted bombing of an Invasion Day rally crowd in Perth was a terrorist act, authorities have declared.<\/p>\n

Live updates, reactions and contributions from ABC readers.<\/p>\n

9m agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 3:51am<\/p>\n

WA not divided, premier says<\/p>\n

The WA premier says he still believes the state is a secure and peaceful place.<\/p>\n

“You haven\u2019t seen the division spill out into the community the way you have in other parts of Australia, or in particular, other parts of the world,” Mr Cook says.<\/p>\n

“It is alleged that this individual acted alone, so we obviously reflect on that as well.”<\/p>\n

But he warned the existence of the internet means hateful ideas and sentiment from across the globe can still seep into WA.<\/p>\n

23m agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 3:37am<\/p>\n

Malarndirri McCarthy speaks<\/p>\n

Addressing the media conference, the\u00a0Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy\u00a0says if there has been a downturn in social cohesion in Australia, it can be reversed.<\/p>\n

She says history shows that Australians come together in times of crisis.<\/p>\n

“I guess what I\u2019m urging all Australians to do and think about now is that every day is our time of need. So let\u2019s come together every day,” she says.<\/p>\n

34m agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 3:26am<\/p>\n

Fears of rise in hate speech towards Aboriginal people<\/p>\n

Commissioner Blanch says he had observed an\u00a0uptick in hateful sentiment towards Aboriginal people in WA.<\/p>\n

“I think we\u2019d all be kidding ourselves if we don\u2019t see what is happening online, and some of the hate speech towards Aboriginal people, and towards any vulnerable community in this country,” he says.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m calling out leaders, myself included. Our speech matters, our ability to bring our communities together matters, talking to people face-to-face matters.”<\/p>\n

He went on to warn young and impressionable people about spending too much time on the internet and going down hate-filled “rabbit holes”.<\/p>\n

46m agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 3:14am<\/p>\n

Noongar elders ‘want justice served’: Blanch<\/p>\n

Commissioner Blanch called the nine-day gap between the alleged attack and the terror charge a “very swift” response.<\/p>\n

“And speaking to the Noongar elders, they want justice served here, so my job is to make sure we do that,” he says.<\/p>\n

“And the way we do that is to not have an inherent bias, is not to call it out as something that we don\u2019t know what it is legally.”<\/p>\n

59m agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 3:01am<\/p>\n

‘We need to prove the motivation’<\/p>\n

The AFP chief’s comments have been backed up by the WA Police commissioner.<\/p>\n

“All of us in this room, all of us in our community, would have seen a bomb being thrown into a crowd on Australia Day at an Invasion Day rally as an act of terror,” Commissioner Blanch told the media conference.<\/p>\n

“But to charge someone with a terrorism offence, we need to prove \u2026 the motivation and the ideology of that person.”<\/p>\n

1h agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 2:59am<\/p>\n

Charge pursued without delay: Barrett<\/p>\n

Commissioner Barrett has explained why it took until now for the terrorism charge to be laid.<\/p>\n

“Under the criminal code, three key components must be met, including: that the action causes or threatens to cause serious harm to human life, serious damage to property, endangers life,\u00a0 creates a serious risk to public health and safety, or seriously interferes with critical infrastructure, ” she says.<\/p>\n

“And that the action is done with the intention of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause.<\/p>\n

“And the action is done with the intention of coercing or influencing a government by intimidation, or intimidating a public or a section of the public.”<\/p>\n

She says a significant amount of investigation was needed to meet evidence thresholds, and that authorities had worked\u00a0 without delay.<\/p>\n

1h agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 2:50am<\/p>\n

Man arrested five minutes after allegedly throwing bomb<\/p>\n

Commissioner Barrett has also shed light on the timeline of events on Australia Day.<\/p>\n

It is alleged the man threw the bomb into the crowd at 12:18pm.<\/p>\n

At 12:23 pm, he was arrested by WA Police, and at 12:54pm state and federal counterterrorism groups became involved.<\/p>\n

The next day, on January 27, the heads of the WA Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) endorsed the operation, which became known as Operation Dumfries.<\/p>\n

“A JCTT investigation triggers elevated Commonwealth powers, capability, and resources,” Commissioner Barrett says.<\/p>\n

1h agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 2:49am<\/p>\n

Enough evidence to back up charge: AFP chief<\/p>\n

Commissioner Barrett says authorities had accessed the accused man\u2019s electronic devices.<\/p>\n

“[They have] worked around the clock to determine whether he acted alone, and whether there was any residual risk to the community,” she says.<\/p>\n

“We do not believe there is any residual risk to the community relating to the alleged attack.”<\/p>\n

Commissioner Barrett says while a lot of data and digital material is yet to be assessed, enough evidence has been collected to substantiate the terrorism charge.<\/p>\n

1h agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 2:35am<\/p>\n

Terrorism charge laid yesterday<\/p>\n

Australian Federal Police Commissioner\u00a0Krissy\u00a0Barrett says the terrorism charge was laid yesterday.<\/p>\n

“It will be alleged the man removed a homemade improvised explosive device and threw it at a rally held in support of First Nations people in the Perth CBD,” she says.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Barrett says the 31-year-old man is facing a maximum penalty of life imprisonment\u00a0and is next due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on February 17, facing both Commonwealth and state charges.<\/p>\n

1h agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 2:31am<\/p>\n

Blanch tells concerned people to come forward<\/p>\n

Commissioner Blanch urged anyone concerned that someone they know may be becoming radicalised to contact the authorities.<\/p>\n

“We should never see this in our country,” he says.<\/p>\n

“But more importantly, we should all be listening to the Noongar elders and be guided by their leadership that they have shown immediately after this attack.”<\/p>\n

Show more<\/p>\n

A 31-year-old man was last week charged with throwing what police described as a homemade “fragment bomb”, filled with ball bearings and screws, into the crowd which had gathered in central Perth.<\/p>\n

WA Premier Roger Cook today confirmed the man has also been charged with engaging in a terrorist act.<\/p>\n

He said it could have become a “mass casualty event”, had the bomb exploded.<\/p>\n

“This charge \u2026 alleges the attack on Aboriginal people and other peaceful protesters was motivated by hateful, racist ideology,” he said.Loading…<\/p>\n

The premier said it was the first time such charges had been laid in WA.<\/p>\n

Mr Cook said people had a right to protest peacefully, and the incident had caused widespread anxiety.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Roger Cook announces the Invasion Day rally attempted bombing is being deemed a terrorist act. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)<\/p>\n

“I know this event has impacted people Australia-wide and it is deeply felt by our Indigenous communities,” he said.<\/p>\n

“I know that there is anger. We have every right to be angry.<\/p>\n

“Any attack on our First Nations people is an attack on all of us.”<\/p>\n

The man’s identity has been suppressed by WA’s courts because of concerns for his safety.<\/p>\n

Why can’t the ABC identify the accused?<\/p>\n

There is a court order preventing the publication of information that could identify the man.<\/p>\n

A 31-year-old man faced court on Tuesday, January 27 charged with one count of committing an unlawful act with intent to harm and one count of making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances.The court put in place a suppression order to conceal the man’s identity after his defence lawyer raised concerns for his safety.That includes his name, address and any other identifying particulars.The legally-binding suppression order also prevents the publication of which custodial facility the man is being held.He is due to appear in court again in Perth on February 17.Accused had access to ‘pro-white’ material<\/p>\n

Police Commissioner Col Blanch alleged the incident “was a nationalist and racially motivated, attack \u2026 targeting members of the Aboriginal community, First Nations people.”<\/p>\n

He said police believed the bomb “had a fuse that was lit”, and “we should all be thankful that we don’t have deceased or seriously injured people in Western Australia today” as a result.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Col Blanch said police needed to prove a terrorist act under the law. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)<\/p>\n

The commissioner said authorities, including intelligence agencies, “had no intelligence \u2026 that this attack was being prepared.”<\/p>\n

He said there was evidence the man charged had access to “pro-white male pro-white material online”, and “that ideology is prevalent across his access to the internet.”<\/p>\n

Asked if he was communicating with others via Facebook, Commissioner Blanch said “we understand he’s accessing and participating in in the ideology, but not having conversations about what was going to happen on January 26th.”<\/p>\n

It had taken some time for police to determine the incident reached the threshold of a terror event.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A detective walks down the Murray Street Mall in Perth after the attempted bombing. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)<\/p>\n

“All of us in this room, all of us in our community, would have seen a bomb being thrown into a crowd on Australia Day at an Invasion Day rally as an act of terror,” he said.<\/p>\n

“But to charge someone with a terrorism offence, we need to have proof.”ASIO involved quickly<\/p>\n

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett said police would allege the man “removed a homemade improvised explosive device from his bag and threw it at a rally held in support of First Nations people in Perth’s CBD.”<\/p>\n

She said the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the AFP and WA’s joint counter intelligence team (JCTT) had become involved 36 minutes after the device was thrown into the crowd.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Krissy Barrett said the terrorism charge was laid on Wednesday. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)<\/p>\n

An investigation \u2014 Operation Operation Dumfries \u2014 was launched the next day.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Barrett said the team “has worked around the clock to determine whether he acted alone” and deemed there was no ongoing risk to the community.<\/p>\n

She said the AFP’s new national security investigations team was in the process of setting up operations in WA, and would target “those who endanger our social cohesion by promoting hate and violence.”<\/p>\n

“There are individuals and current and emerging groups across Australia, including in the west, which are eroding the country’s social fabric by advocating hatred, fear, and humiliation that is towards violence, and I am here to put these groups and individuals on notice,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Today is an update as much as it is a warning. The proof is that an individual is facing life behind bars because of their alleged actions.”<\/p>\n

Call for calm<\/p>\n

Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy called for calm and community cohesion in the wake of the upgraded charges.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Malarndirri McCarthy appealed for calm in the community. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)<\/p>\n

“I know that the First Nations community here in Perth and right across Australia are indeed hurting,” she said.<\/p>\n

“They’re feeling scared, they feel very angry.”<\/p>\n

She said healing would take effort and time.<\/p>\n

“What’s happened these past couple of months has certainly highlighted the fact that all of us, wherever we are in this country, need to be vigilant and we need to deliberately work towards a social, cohesive community.”<\/p>\n

Speaking in federal parliament, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the incident was “alleged terrorism driven by racism and hatred” and could have resulted in “death, injury, trauma beyond imagining”.<\/p>\n

“I know that First Nations people around Australia are grappling with that,” he said.<\/p>\n

“As a government, as a parliament and as a nation we see you and we stand with you.<\/p>\n

“We will do everything required to keep you and your loved ones safe.<\/p>\n

“There is no place for racism, for hatred in our nation.”<\/p>\n

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