Perth's Invasion Day rally was targeted in a terrorist act, authorities have confirmed. A 31-year-old man was arrested five minutes after allegedly throwing a homemade 'fragment bomb' into the crowd, filled with ball bearings and screws. Police stated that people could have been killed or injured if the bomb had exploded. The man has been charged with engaging in a terrorist act, motivated by hateful, racist ideology. This is the first time such charges have been laid in Western Australia. The incident caused widespread anxiety and impacted people across Australia, especially Indigenous communities. The police commissioner emphasized that authorities had no prior intelligence of the attack, and it took time to determine the severity of the incident. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and ASIO were quickly involved, and an investigation, Operation Dumb Freeze, was launched the next day. The AFP's new national security investigations team is now targeting those who endanger social cohesion by promoting hate and violence.
