Senator Lidia Thorpe has called for a full investigation, condemned the minimisation of attacks on First Peoples, and urged the federal government to respond decisively to the rising threats against First Peoples, as it did following the Bondi attack.

Quotes attributable to Lidia Thorpe, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung independent Victorian Senator:

“What happened in Perth was not a minor incident. An explosive device was thrown into a crowd of First Peoples and supporters on our Day of Mourning. It was intended to detonate but thankfully failed. 

This was a serious act of violence that could very easily have become a mass-casualty event, and it must be treated as such.

When violence is linked to Muslims, the word ‘terrorism’ appears in headlines almost immediately. But when First Peoples are targeted by white supremacists, the response is silence, minimisation and delay. 

That double standard is glaring and deeply dangerous. It reflects the entrenched racism embedded across so many of this country’s institutions.

This attempted bombing follows a clear pattern. The ideologically driven neo-Nazi attack on First Peoples at Camp Sovereignty last year was also downplayed, with authorities refusing to recognise it as a hate crime or an act of terror. Time and again, violence against our people is treated as less serious.

We need a comprehensive investigation – not only into the alleged perpetrator, but into the policing and intelligence failures that allowed First Peoples to be placed at risk of serious injury and death.

Nearly 48 hours on, the public has been given almost no information about the motivation or ideology behind this attack. The identity of the alleged perpetrator has been suppressed, and police have not been transparent with Elders.

Police must do better in how they communicate with our people. Transparency, accountability and clear communication are essential to community safety, particularly at a time when far-right extremism is an escalating threat. 

On its face, this appears to be a targeted, racist terror attack against First Peoples on our Day of Mourning. That possibility must be taken extremely seriously, not avoided or downplayed.

All forms of hate and political violence must be called out consistently. First Peoples should not be treated as expendable or lesser than, and violence against us must never be normalised or ignored.

The federal government must lead a comprehensive response. Their response following the horrific Bondi attack showed that strong leadership on violence and racism is possible when there is political will.

We need the same seriousness and urgency applied to tackling the rising racism and violence against First Peoples across the continent.