Blanch highlighted that while it was initially apparent to law enforcement that the incident had terrorist elements, determining the motive was crucial.

“These are extraordinary measures, and if I felt they were necessary to ensure public safety, I wouldn’t hesitate to classify it as a terrorist act,” he stated during an afternoon press briefing.

He emphasized the need to demonstrate the attacker’s motivation, ideology, and intent.

“When a bomb is thrown at an Invasion Day rally, it’s instinctive to consider it a terrorist attack. However, the courts require evidence, as they would frown upon any police judgment made without it, viewing it as biased,” he explained.

“A skilled defense attorney could argue that our minds were made up prematurely,” Blanch added.

He further mentioned that the police meticulously gathered evidence by interviewing the suspect and those close to him, including family and community members, and examining his electronic devices.

“Those three things took nine days and the Australian Federal Police Commissioner was very clear and said, in the broad scheme of things, when ideology is not evident in a terrorist attack, nine days is pretty quick,” he said. 

Invasion Day rally organiser Fabian Yarran told 9News, they’re just glad authorities got there in the end.

“It took a long time but we’re happy that it’s came out and this guy’s getting charged under the terrorism act,” Yarran said.

“That possibility must be taken extremely seriously, not avoided or downplayed,” Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe said last week.

Blanch said he thought it was “pretty clear” they were doing so after comments he made to the media on the day of the incident.

But, after some confusion, he said the state’s Joint Counter-Terrorism Team released a statement two days later to clarify.

“What I said on the day was, to charge for terrorism, I will need to identify an ideology and advancing the cause of that ideology and that’s what the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team was doing,” he said.

“I thought that was pretty clear that we’re investigating terrorism, but perhaps I’ll reflect on my words to assist media communicate that throughout the country.”

A 31-year-old man remains before the court charged with one count of engaging in a terrorist act, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

This is the first time a person has been charged with engaging in a terrorist act offence in Western Australia.

Police alleged the man engaged in a nationalist and racially motivated attack targeting Indigenous people at the Invasion Day rally. 

The court has suppressed his identity over concerns for his safety. 

Noongar elder Uncle Herbert Bropho said action needs to be taken at the highest level to address racism in the community.

“Racism is killing our people, white supremacy is killing our people or attempting to, and we need to make sure this is addressed. This is a national issue,” he told 9News.

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