Charlton Hart: We dodged a bullet on Australia Day at Forrest Place, now we must dodge the fear

On Monday afternoon, the heart of our city skipped a beat. In the bustling centre of Forrest Place, amidst the passionate chants of the Invasion Day rally, a glass jar allegedly filled with liquid, ball bearings, and screws was hurtled from a balcony into the crowd below. Whether by a failure of chemistry or a stroke of fortune, it did not detonate, narrowly averting a potential tragedy that could have killed or maimed innocent people. While the physical explosion never came, the shock wave is already rippling through our State. What’s become clear is that our community is standing at a precipice. The alleged suspect was unknown to police and has left us asking uncomfortable questions. Police Commissioner Col Blanch has been candid, saying that investigators are liaising with ASIO and the AFP to determine if this was an act of terror driven by ideology. It is terrifying to think that a device allegedly made of household items could threaten the safety we so often take for granted. As the Commissioner noted, this incident “tells us as a community that safety isn’t assured”. We all know that the true test of our State’s character isn’t found in the actions of one alleged lone actor, but in how the rest of us respond. The temptation in the wake of such a near-miss is to retreat into fear or to let indignation widen the cracks in our society. We cannot afford to do either. January 26, is already a date heavy with historical weight and complex emotions. The rally attendees were there to mourn and speak their truth. Regardless of where one stands on the date’s debate, the right to peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. To have that space allegedly violated by violence, or the threat of it, is an assault on us all. Premier Roger Cook was right when he said this week that we must prioritise “unity, not division”. He reminded us that “we can’t let hate win”. But unity does not mean uniformity. It does not mean we must all agree on history or politics. Unity, in a functional society, means the ability to disagree without dehumanising one another. It means that our neighbours’ safety is as precious to us as our own, even when they are chanting slogans we might not fully understand or agree with. So, how do we move forward? By taking back our power from those who might seek to do us harm. First, we must refuse to be terrorised. The aim of violence is often to sow panic and silence dissent. By continuing to engage with one another, we defeat that intent. Second, we must practise radical respect. The police investigation will determine the motivations of this alleged act. We don’t need to wait for the findings to check our own behaviours. Just last week, after publishing an investigation into illicit tobacco sales across Perth, including at a Clarkson bottle shop, I was contacted by complete strangers on my own personal social media accounts and subjected to a vile torrent of abuse. People telling me, in no uncertain terms, to take a long walk off a short pier. All of this visceral hatred for exposing where to buy illegal cigarettes. Imagine if it was a topic of more substance. Radical respect starts with our online comments, our dinner table conversations and on our streets. We must lower the temperature. We need to listen to the voices at the Invasion Day rally who spoke of “survival” and “truth” just as we listen to those celebrating. The alleged homemade bomb was designed to scatter shrapnel — screws and ball bearings intended to tear indiscriminately through flesh. Let that horrific image be a reminder of what happens when humanity is discarded for hatred. We were lucky on Monday. Now, we have a second chance to ensure the social fuse doesn’t ignite. Let us choose to be a city that debates with passion but protects with ferocity. Let us be a State that, when threatened, draws closer together rather than falling apart. Charlton Hart is a news reporter