Western Australia (WA) Police has charged a man for throwing an alleged explosive device at an “Invasion Day” rally in Perth CBD on Jan. 26.
The 31-year-old man attended the public event at Forrest Place, where a crowd of about 2,500 people were present at about 12.15 p.m. on Australia Day.
Police allege the man removed an item from his bag, and threw it into the crowd from a first-floor walkway before fleeing the scene.
A member of the public notified the police, who promptly acted to secure the crowd, disperse them, and isolate the suspicious item. The man was identified and swiftly apprehended by police on the first-floor walkway.
Specialist officers from the WA Police Bomb Response Unit, along with forensic teams, attended the scene to examine the device. It was confirmed to be a homemade improvised explosive device, which contained a mixture of volatile and potentially explosive chemicals, with nails and metal ball bearings attached to its exterior.
A follow-up search of the man’s residence uncovered a range of chemicals and materials consistent with those used in the production of homemade explosives.
The man, from Warwick in Perth’s northern suburbs, has been charged with one count of “making or possession of explosives under suspicious circumstances,” and another count of “unlawful act or omission with intent to harm (endangering life, health or safety of any person),” WA Police confirmed on Jan. 27.
The man, whose bail was refused, was due to appear before the Perth Magistrates Court on the same day.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch stated that although the motive behind the incident remains unclear, it could be classified as terrorism once the motivations are fully understood.
“To be a terrorist act we have to determine whether there is political motivations, religious motivations or there’s an ideological motivation and the person taking that act is seeking to advance those causes,” Blanch told ABC Radio on Jan. 27.
“That is where we are up to in the investigation now. Determining what the motivation is. If it is one of those three, it will become a terrorist act.”
Blanch stated that police were confident that the man was acting alone, and that forensics investigators were analyzing the liquid inside the device throughout the night.
“We’re still waiting for full chemical analysis, but I can confirm the preliminary tests showed that there were three compounds involved. We are able to say that it is an explosive device, so we will call this an improvised explosive device that was viable. It had the potential to explode and injure many people or kill them,” he said.
WA Premier Roger Cook condemned the incident, stating that although the motive remained uncertain, the alleged actions were utterly “unacceptable.”
“Whatever the motivation for this, we must remember what this day marks. This Australia Day should be about unity, not division. That a peaceful protest was targeted in this fashion runs against the very heart of what it means to be Australian,” Cook said on Jan. 26.
“Now, more than ever, it is important that we treat each other’s views with respect. That is what inclusive inclusivity is all about. It is our differences and diversity which has made Australia the country that we all love.”
