Perth Invasion Day attack becomes WA’s first ‘terrorist act’ charge, as First Nations communities demand equal protection

The alleged attempted bombing of an Invasion Day rally in Perth has now been formally declared a terrorist act, with a 31‑year‑old man charged with engaging in a terrorist act – the first time this specific offence has been laid in Western Australia.

Thousands had gathered at Forrest Place in Perth’s CBD on 26 January for a peaceful Invasion Day rally, most of them Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their supporters. About 2,500 people were in the crowd (including families, Elders and children) when a homemade explosive device was allegedly thrown into the rally shortly after 12.40pm.

According to police and federal authorities, the device contained metal fragments intended to maximise harm but failed to detonate properly, preventing what investigators and MPs have repeatedly described as a potential “mass casualty” event. No rally‑goers were physically injured, although the accused man required medical treatment.

On 4 February, the Western Australia Joint Counter Terrorism Team (made up of the Western Australia Police Force, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) charged the man with one count of engaging in a terrorist act under Commonwealth law. The AFP says it is the first time an individual in WA has been charged with the “engage in terrorist act” offence, although the same joint taskforce has previously brought other terrorism‑related prosecutions, including cases of advocating terrorism online. A court‑ordered suppression prevents publication of the accused’s identity while the case proceeds.

Investigators allege the attack was racially and ideologically motivated, influenced by “pro‑white” material the accused had accessed online. WA Police say there is currently no evidence he acted as part of an organised group, describing him as self‑radicalised.

Several MPs linked the alleged bombing to a wider pattern of racist violence, including last year’s neo‑Nazi attack on Camp Sovereignty in Naarm/Melbourne and urged the federal government to finally fund and implement the National Anti‑Racism Framework developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission.

The Invasion Day rally in Perth was one of dozens across the continent this year, from capital cities to regional centres, where First Nations people and allies gathered to mark 26 January as Invasion Day, Survival Day or a Day of Mourning and to call for justice, treaty and an end to racism. As the terrorism case moves through the courts – (and the accused remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty) many First Nations advocates say the real test for governments will be whether this moment leads to lasting action: equal protection from racial violence, genuine community‑led safety and funding that reaches the kitchen tables, not just the capital.