Perth Rally Explosive Throw Deemed Potential Terror Act

Authorities in Western Australia have classified the alleged throwing of a homemade explosive device into a crowd of Invasion Day protesters in Perth as a potential terrorist act, prompting an ongoing joint investigation by state and federal agencies.

The incident occurred around 12:15 p.m. on January 26 in Forrest Place, the city's central business district, where approximately 2,500 people had gathered for a rally protesting Australia Day celebrations. The date commemorates the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet and the raising of the British flag, which many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their supporters view as the beginning of colonization, leading to dispossession, violence, and lasting impacts on First Nations communities. Participants often refer to the day as Invasion Day and use rallies to call for a change in the national holiday's date.

According to police, a 31-year-old man from Perth's northern suburbs retrieved the device from his bag and hurled it from a balcony above Forrest Chase, adjacent to the Myer department store. Closed-circuit television footage released by Western Australia Police shows the individual, dressed in a black shirt and...