Indigenous community felt ignored after alleged Invasion Day bombing attempt, inquiry told

Created at 13 Jul · 8:06 AM1 source↑ Market-relevant

IN SHORT

Indigenous community members in Perth told a federal inquiry into racism that they felt dismissed and ignored by authorities following an alleged attempted terror attack at an Invasion Day rally. A homemade bomb was thrown into a crowd of 2,000 people on January 26, with one witness stating, 'I shouldn’t be sitting here and talking to you today.'

Key Numbers

2,000people at Invasion Day rally

one monthafter Bondi massacre

15people died in Bondi massacre

40people injured in Bondi massacre

Who's Involved

Renae Isaacs‑Guthridge

Curtin University academic and witness to alleged bombing attempt

Liam Alexander Hall

Charged with terrorism offences in relation to the alleged bombing attempt

Fabian Yarran

Invasion Day rally organiser who testified about prior warnings

Ken Wyatt

Former Indigenous affairs minister who testified about racism

↳ Why This Matters

The testimony highlights concerns within the Indigenous community about the perceived lack of urgency and seriousness with which authorities responded to an alleged terror attack, raising questions about systemic racism and the differential treatment of hate crimes against First Nations people. It also underscores the ongoing impact of the referendum result on racial discourse and actions.

Key facts

Indigenous community members felt ignored by authorities after an alleged attempted terror attack at an Invasion Day rally in Perth.
A homemade bomb was thrown into a crowd of 2,000 people on January 26.
One witness stated she and her family 'should be dead' as the device landed in front of them.
Rally organisers had warned police of potential threats from far-right individuals prior to the event.
Former Indigenous affairs minister Ken Wyatt stated the referendum defeat emboldened racist commentary and actions.

Indigenous community members who witnessed an alleged attempted terror attack at Perth's Invasion Day rally told a federal inquiry that they felt dismissed and ignored by authorities. Western Australia police are investigating the incident, which occurred on January 26 when a homemade bomb was allegedly thrown into a crowd of 2,000 people. Liam Alexander Hall has been charged with terrorism offences.

During a hearing in Perth, academic Renae Isaacs‑Guthridge recounted seeing the device land in front of her, stating, 'I shouldn’t be sitting here and talking to you today. I and my girls, and mum and my sister, we should be dead.' She expressed a belief that the community was not taken as seriously due to underlying hate against Indigenous people and noted a lack of condemnation from non-Indigenous leaders.

Rally organiser Fabian Yarran informed the inquiry that they had received a tip-off about potential threats from the Nazi party and had alerted the police and state MPs. However, he stated that police did not meet with organisers beforehand and did not initially communicate the nature of the threat or the bomb to them, causing fear and confusion.

Former Indigenous affairs minister Ken Wyatt also testified, suggesting that the defeat of the referendum on a constitutional voice to parliament had normalised racism and online hate, emboldening such commentary and actions. He called for the inquiry to be equally funded and supported as a royal commission into antisemitism, with a view to national rollout.

Frequently asked questions

An alleged homemade bomb filled with projectiles was thrown into a crowd of 2,000 people at Forrest Place on January 26. A man has been charged with terrorism offences.

Witnesses testified that they felt authorities did not treat the incident with the same urgency as other terror attacks and that there was a lack of condemnation from non-Indigenous leaders.

Former Indigenous affairs minister Ken Wyatt stated that the referendum's defeat emboldened racist commentary and actions, and normalised online hate.

What Happens Next

01The federal inquiry is expected to make recommendations for action.

02Funding may be allocated to the inquiry, potentially mirroring that of a royal commission into antisemitism.

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Cadence

How It Developed

Indigenous community members testified at a federal inquiry into racism and hate directed at First Nations people.

Witnesses described feeling ignored and dismissed by authorities after an alleged attempted terror attack at an Invasion Day rally in Perth.

A homemade bomb was thrown into a crowd of 2,000 people at Forrest Place on January 26.

Perth man Liam Alexander Hall has been charged with terrorism offences and is in custody.

One witness, Renae Isaacs‑Guthridge, stated she saw the device land in front of her and that 'we should be dead'.

Community members felt the attack was not treated with the same urgency as the Bondi massacre.

Rally organisers had warned police about potential threats from far-right individuals.

Organisers stated police did not communicate the nature of the threat or the bomb to them.

Sources

‘We should be dead’: Perth’s Indigenous community felt ignored after alleged Invasion Day bombing attempt, inquiry toldThe Guardian