In a troubling incident at a January 26 march in Perth, Western Australia Police have charged a man following the discovery of a device packed with screws and ball bearings thrown into the crowd.
The Invasion Day rally, which drew thousands to Forest Place in the city’s CBD, commenced its speeches around midday on Monday. The gathering was meant to be peaceful and reflective.
However, at approximately 12:30 p.m., authorities allege that a 31-year-old man from Warwick hurled a glass object into the assembled crowd. The object, described as roughly the size of a medium coffee cup, contained an unidentified liquid and shrapnel.
“Members of the public observed a man throwing an object near the stage area,” WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch stated during a press conference on Monday.
He further explained, “The public immediately informed police, who promptly apprehended the individual responsible. The man indicated that the device might contain explosives.”
Commissioner Blanch noted that forensic teams are currently working to determine the nature of the liquid substance found within the device.
Commissioner Blanch thanked rally organisers for their help in “immediately” evacuating the area following the incident.
The man has been charged with making or possessing an explosive, and committing an act with intent to cause harm.
He will appear in Perth Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Clashes with anti-immigration marches
Police were out in force elsewhere around the nation, protecting against potential clashes between the March for Australia and Invasion Day groups.
In Melbourne, the two demonstrations snaked through the city only streets apart, with each ending where the other began.
“Please, do not engage,” was the advice Gunnai and Gunditjmara activist Meriki Onus gave Invasion Day protesters ahead of potential run-ins.
Among those who addressed the Invasion Day rally was Millie Ingram, who read a statement on behalf of Uncle Mark Brown, a Burunong Elder.
Protesters then marched chanting “Always was, always will be” and “What do we want? Land rights. When do we want them? Now.”
The largely peaceful Invasion Day march concluded near Flinders Street Station, where the March for Australia rally had begun earlier in the day.
At that protest, chants of “deportation” and “send them back” were heard as attendees waved Australian flags and carried signs supporting Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party.
As the group moved towards the steps of parliament, loud boos erupted as protesters passed the Immigration Museum.
Riot and mounted police lined the streets, guiding demonstrators, including neo-Nazi members dressed in plain clothes.
