Police probe explosive device thrown at Indigenous protest in Australia

Man charged with throwing explosive device into a crowd at Invasion Day protest in Western Australia’s Perth.Published On 29 Jan 2026Police may investigate an alleged bombing attempt during an Indigenous rights protest in Perth, Western Australia, as a possible “terrorist” incident, following calls from Indigenous leaders and human rights groups for a more robust response from authorities.The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Thursday that the incident was now being investigated by police as a “potential terrorist act”, two days after a 31-year-old man was charged with throwing a “homemade improvised explosive device” at an Invasion Day protest attended by thousands of people on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Australian neo-Nazi attack on sacred Indigenous site a worrying trendlist 2 of 4Australian police officer who shot Indigenous teen a racist, finds inquirylist 3 of 4Ancient Aboriginal rock art, African sites make UNESCO World Heritage listlist 4 of 4Australia’s first treaty with Aboriginal people signed in state of Victoriaend of listThe device did not explode and there were no injuries, police said.Police charged the man with throwing the device, which consisted of nails and ball bearings, into a large crowd during a protest on Australia’s national holiday, Australia-day" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="16423" data-entity-type="event">Australia Day, which is also referred to as Invasion Day, since it commemorates the 1788 arrival of a British fleet in Sydney Harbour.A search of the suspect’s home was conducted, where it was further alleged that a combination of chemicals and materials consistent with the manufacture of homemade explosives was found, Western Australia Police Force said in a statement.The suspect was charged with an attempt to cause harm and with making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances.Hannah McGlade, a member of the Indigenous Noongar community, told national broadcaster ABC on Thursday that it appeared police had “heard our concerns” regarding the attack.“A lot of people have been adding concern that it hasn’t been looked at properly as a hate crime or even possibly as a terror crime,” said McGlade, an associate professor of law at Curtin University in Australia.Demonstrators take part in the annual ‘Invasion Day’ rally through the streets of Sydney on Australia-day" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="16423" data-entity-type="event">Australia Day on January 26, 2026 [Steven Markham/AFP]Indigenous people felt “absolute horror that so many people could have been injured and killed at an event like this, a peaceful gathering”, McGlade added.