Invasion Day failed bomb attack could be labelled a terrorist act this week, WA Premier says

An update now on the failed bomb attack on Perth’s Invasion Day rally last week, and Premier Roger Cook has just indicated that Commonwealth authorities may be preparing to make a call on whether the incident was a terrorist act in the next few days.

A 31-year-old man, whose name is suppressed, is accused of throwing a home-made bomb into the 2500-strong crowd who had gathered at Forrest Place in the CBD to protest the date of Australia Day.

The device, which was allegedly designed to explode on impact, did not detonate.

A week on, Cook told media this morning that from his point of view, the incident appeared to be a terrorist act, but that there were certain definitions that must be met for it to be formally deemed as such.

“The actual assigning of an act of terror is undertaken by a joint taskforce between Commonwealth and state agencies, and then ultimately the Commonwealth agency is the one that declares whether it is a terrorist attack,” he said.

“We look as bystanders at the circumstances of this horrible act, and you would not be surprised if ultimately the Commonwealth makes that decision.

“I understand that’s in front of them at the moment, and they’ll be making that decision this week.”

Cook said he had spoken with police and event organisers about the incident.

“This is a potentially an act which would have caused a mass casualty event, and because of that, we have to treat it with the utmost serious concern,” he said.