The 31-year-old man alleged to have carried out the attempted bombing attack on the Invasion Day rally in Boorloo / Perth on January 26 has been charged with an act of terrorism.

The announcement was made Thursday by WA Premier Roger Cook, Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett and WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch.

Commissioner Barrett noted that the charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

"We have zero tolerance for hate crimes and communal violence," she said.

"An individual is facing life behind bars because of their alleged actions."

The WA Joint Counter Terrorism Team - consisting of WA Police, Australian Federal Police, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) - laid the charge of engaging in a terrorist act on Wednesday.

It's alleged the man threw a home-made improvised explosive device at a rally in Perth on 26 January 2026. The federal terrorism charge will be heard when the alleged assailant next appears in court on February 17. He faces two additional state charges.

WA Police thank Noongar Elders for their leadership

Commissioner Blanch thanked the Noongar Elders and other Indigenous leaders with whom he has met "on numerous occasions now ... for their leadership, for their discussions, and for what they have asked me to do, and for what they are going to do as leaders in our community".

"It is not a time for hate... it is a time for all leaders in our community to work together to make sure we have no one, no one in our country that seeks to do this level of harm to others," he said.

"This was a terrorist attack on West Australia. As Police Commissioner that saddens me, no doubt it saddens the rest of our country, that a fellow citizen would seek to cause harm to others in our community.

"It took nine days for the investigation to establish (the elements of the offence) to a level of being able to charge this person.

"This is a difficult moment for our community but a really important one to come together and unify as a result of what has occurred."

Commissioner Blanch said law enforcement agencies had no prior intelligence suggesting an attack was planned for January 26, and reiterated that "there is one person responsible" for the attack.

"To be someone filled with hate, and racism, is unacceptable," he said, while urging the broader community to be vigilant and speak up if they are aware of someone planning violence fuelled by extreme views.

Rally co-organiser, Noongar advocate Fabian Yarran, has previously said the organisers received theats before the event.

Premier Cook said: "We are faced with complex challenges in our community and ever changing threats, but together out governments are dedicated to keeping Western Australians safe."

'Where is the Prime Minister today?'

Senator Lidia Thorpe said the charge confirmed the attack "is what we have been saying it was all along".

"We have been warning of the rising hate against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people," she told a press conference in Canberra.

Senator Thorpe said the attack was driven by "the same element of hate that continues to be perpetrated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this country".

"We know how silent this country has been - everyone went into hiding, the media, the Prime Minister - trying to minimise the extreme violent attack on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on the 26th of January. And now, it's a terrorist attack.

"Where is the Prime Minister today? Where is he?"

Senator Thorpe said the silence has been "incredibly painful".

"We have to fight for the media's attention, we have to fight for the Prime Minister to come out and say something to the Noongar people who were at the rally that day and also to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across this country who are all affected by this terrorist attack on a peaceful rally," she said.

"We have to be safe, we have to look after each other, because we are under attack. We are under attack every day."

'Racism has no place in our society'

In a joint statement, federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy, Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke and Member for Perth Patrick Gorman said: "First Nations people, like all Australians, have the right to gather peacefully without fearing for their safety."

"Racism has no place in our society. All Australians have a right to feel safe and protected from violence and bigotry," their statement read.

"Our message to the First Nations community in Perth and all those affected is we stand with you."

If anyone has information that a person holds extremist views and is mobilising to commit violence, please call the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.