Police declare alleged attempted bombing at Forrest Place Invasion Day rally an act of terror

Police have declared the attempted bombing of the Forrest Place Invasion Day rally on January 26 an act of terror.

Authorities allege the incident saw a man allegedly hurl a liquid-filled glass container, wrapped in ball bearings and screws and designed to detonate on impact, into a crowd of 2500 demonstrators.

The device failed to detonate.

On Thursday, WA’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team said investigations have shown the incident was ideologically driven.

Premier Roger Cook said the man was allegedly driven by a “hateful, racist ideology”.

The 31-year-old has now been charged with engaging in a terrorist act — a first in WA.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch acknowledged why it took officers 10 days to charge the man with a terrorism offence.

“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 is an act of terror,” he said.

“But to charge someone with a terrorism offence, we need to prove the motivation and the ideology of that person.

“As a police organisation...we have rules we must follow and processes we must follow.

“Speaking to the Noongar elders, they want justice served here so my job is to make sure we do that.”

Mr Blanch said it was pure luck the device didn’t explode.

“Whatever anyone believes in, happened on that day, the reason why it didn’t go off, it should have gone off,” he said.

“It had a fuse that was lit, whether it fell out or failed or alleged was lit.

“Whatever was looking over the people in that rally that day stopped it from going off and we should all be thankful that we don’t have deceased.”

Mr Cook pledged the State Government would “do everything we can” to prevent further attacks.

“We can’t guarantee that these acts of violence won’t take place elsewhere. We can do everything we can to address this particular act and continue to recommit ourselves to making sure Western Australia stays safe and peaceful,” he said.

Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy spoke of the hurt the community was feeling following the alleged attack.

“We all want to be safe. We all want to know that we can protest in an environment where we don’t have to be looking over our shoulder or looking around to see if someone’s going to hurt us or violently attack us,” she said.

“There’s a fair bit of work to take place in coming months in terms of that kind of healing, in terms of the social cohesion that we require, not just in Western Australia, but right across Australia.”

The new charge adds to his previous charges of intent to harm and making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances.

The man remains remanded in custody and is due to return to court on February 17.

Anyone with information that a person holds extremist views and is mobilising to violence, are urged to call the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.

For culturally safe First Nations crisis support, you can give 13YARN a call on 13 92 76. They offer a free, confidential one-on-one yarning opportunity with an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.