Australia's federal police have formally declared an attempted bombing at a Perth Indigenous rights rally a terrorist act, nine days after the January 26 incident.
The attack targeted protesters at an Invasion Day rally - the term many Indigenous Australians use for Australia Day - raising immediate questions about why it took authorities over a week to classify the violence as terrorism.
According to the ABC, intelligence and law enforcement authorities needed time to establish whether the suspect had an ideological motivation - the key legal distinction between terrorism and other serious crimes under Australian law.
Under the Australian Criminal Code, terrorism requires violence conducted "for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause." In the immediate aftermath, authorities weren't certain the detained suspect met this threshold.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley have both condemned the attack, with Albanese calling it "an attack on the values we hold dear as Australians."
The classification carries serious implications. Terrorism charges bring significantly harsher penalties than other violent offences, and the designation unlocks additional investigative resources for law enforcement.
But the delay has frustrated Indigenous leaders and activists who argue that violence targeting Indigenous protesters is rarely taken as seriously as other forms of political violence. Some have pointed to the swift response to other incidents as evidence of a double standard in how threats against Indigenous Australians are treated.
Mate, when someone tries to bomb a peaceful protest, the motive matters for legal purposes - but the threat to those protesters is immediate regardless of how long it takes bureaucrats to tick the right boxes.
The incident adds to growing concerns about far-right extremism in Australia, particularly targeting Indigenous rights movements. Security analysts have warned that domestic terrorism - both far-right and other ideologically motivated violence - represents an increasing threat that Australian intelligence agencies are still learning to counter effectively.
The suspect remains in custody. Federal police have not released details about the suspect's background or stated motivations, citing the ongoing investigation.
