Warwick man charged over Invasion Day rally scare as police allege bomb was designed to explode on impact

WA Police say a suspected homemade bomb thrown into a crowd of protesters in the heart of Perth’s CBD was designed to explode on impact, with the accused set to face court on Tuesday. The 31-year-old man from Warwick was arrested on Monday after allegedly throwing a device into the Invasion Day rally crowd at Forrest Place around 12.15pm. Police allege the man removed an item from his bag and threw it into the crowd from a first-floor walkway before fleeing the scene. The incident sparked the evacuation of around 2500 demonstrators. The man was arrested nearby and has since been charged with one count of making or possessing an explosive under suspicious circumstances and one count of endangering the life, health and safety of others. Specialist officers from the WA Police Bomb Response Unit and forensic officers attended the scene and examined the item. Police say it was confirmed to be a homemade improvised explosive device containing a mixture of volatile and potentially explosive chemicals, with nails and metal ball bearings affixed to the exterior. There was still a large police presence, including the Tactical Response Group and forensics, at the suspect’s home overnight as they searched the residence. The man was spotted in a blue forensic jumpsuit being escorted to his home by police on Monday night. Police were seen videotaping the suspect out the front of his home before he was taken back to custody. The search of the man’s home allegedly revealed a combination of chemicals and materials consistent with the manufacture of homemade explosives. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said it will be alleged the device was designed to explode on impact. “Last night we had the device taken to our forensics unit and we also had our bomb response unit look at the device and sample the device,” he told 6PR on Tuesday morning. “So we can say at this time with preliminary testing, the liquid was an explosive liquid, in fact there were multiple liquid compounds.” He said the accused allegedly sought to ignite a fuse but it didn’t light or detonate. The man is due to face Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said at a snap press conference on Monday that the incident was serious. “The device that was located just in front of the stage area contained ball bearings, contained screws, and those items were wrapped around an unknown, at this stage, liquid in a glass container,” he said.