Attempted Bombing of Perth ‘Invasion Day’ Protest Deemed Terrorist Act

Premier says alleged device could have caused mass casualties.

Demonstrators take part in the annual "Invasion Day" rally through the streets of Sydney on Australia Day on Jan. 26, 2026. Steven Markham / AFP via Getty Images

The alleged attempt to bomb an Invasion Day rally in Perth has been designated a terrorist act by authorities.

A 31-year-old man was charged last week after police alleged he threw a “fragment bomb” filled with ball bearings and screws at a 2,500-strong crowd gathered in central Perth on Jan. 26.