SYDNEY: Australian authorities on Thursday classified the attempted bombing of a rally protesting the country’s national day on January 26 as a terrorism incident—the first such charge in Western Australia.
Police arrested a 31-year-old man accused of hurling a homemade bomb into a crowd of several thousand people in Perth. Fortunately, no one was injured as the device failed to explode.
Police and Western Australia state leader Roger Cook said the man espoused white supremacist views and intended to target Aboriginal people, one of Australia’s two main Indigenous groups, according to the Reuters.
“This charge … alleges the attack on Aboriginal people and other peaceful protesters was motivated by hateful, racist ideology,” Cook said at a news conference. If convicted, the accused could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Australia Day, which commemorates Britain’s colonization of the country in 1788, is observed with picnics, barbecues, and citizenship ceremonies. However, the holiday has faced criticism from segments of the Indigenous community, who mark it as “Invasion Day” through protest rallies.
Polling indicates that most Australians oppose changing the date of the national holiday.
