A 31-year-old man was arrested after allegedly throwing an improvised explosive device containing ball bearings and screws into a crowd at a rally in Perth, Australia, forcing police to evacuate the area and end the demonstration.

Device Details and Police Response

Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch revealed the device contained ball bearings, screws, and an unknown liquid wrapped in a glass container. Witnesses observed the suspect throw the object from an upper level toward the stage area where thousands had gathered. Police immediately established an exclusion zone around Forrest Place and deployed significant resources to secure the scene.

Rally attendee Jade Cameron described the scene as chaos, saying police prevented elders from conducting their planned ceremony without explanation. The crowd was forced to relocate and continue their activities in surrounding streets while authorities investigated the potential threat.

Nationwide Tensions and Counter-Protests

The Perth incident occurred amid Australia Day demonstrations across the country that saw clashes between opposing groups. In Melbourne, approximately 500 anti-immigration protesters confronted a larger rally of 30,000 people, resulting in four separate altercations requiring police intervention with riot gear and mounted units.

The double standard is impossible to ignore.
Burning the Australian flag is framed as “expression,” yet doing the same to other symbols is suddenly unacceptable.

When people aren’t capable of holding a rational conversation about what’s actually happening, they don’t argue… pic.twitter.com/h7xc5JjOOS

— Chris Katelaris (@big_chocky) January 27, 2026

Similar confrontations erupted in Sydney, Canberra, and Brisbane as competing rallies took place simultaneously. New South Wales authorities had only confirmed six days prior that protesters would not face arrest, after scaling back anti-protest measures originally implemented following a previous terror attack.

Official Response and Security Concerns

Premier Roger Cook condemned the Perth incident as unacceptable, emphasizing the importance of respecting different viewpoints during national observances. The arrest highlights growing tensions surrounding Australia Day commemorations, which some groups view differently based on historical perspectives. Police continue investigating the device and the suspect’s motivations while ensuring public safety at future events.