Senior West Australian Government Minister Paul Papalia has strongly defended the police response to a serious security incident at Perth's Invasion Day rally, following complaints from event organisers about a lack of communication during the emergency.
Rally Evacuated After Suspicious Device Found
The Forrest Place area in Perth's CBD was densely packed with protesters on January 26 when authorities had to urgently evacuate the crowd. This action came after a man allegedly threw an object containing screws and ball bearings wrapped around a glass container of liquids, which was reportedly designed to explode upon impact.
Fortunately, the device did not detonate, preventing what could have been a catastrophic event. A 31-year-old man remains in police custody, facing serious charges including intent to harm and making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances.
Organisers Criticise Police Communication
Invasion Day rally organiser Fabian Yarran has been vocal in his criticism of how WA Police handled the situation. He specifically pointed to what he described as a significant lack of communication when the suspicious device was discovered.
There was a significant lack of communication from WA Police when the device was discovered, which led to confusion and unnecessary concern, Mr Yarran stated. At no point was there clear, timely or transparent communication with rally organisers.
Mr Yarran called for substantial improvements in police training and protocols, particularly emphasising the need for culturally appropriate communication methods with community event organisers. He argued that effective community safety depends on strong, respectful relationships, which he felt were completely absent in this instance.
Minister's Strong Defence of Police Actions
Mr Papalia, who previously served as Police Minister and now holds the Racing and Gaming portfolio, offered a robust defence of the police response during a Wednesday media appearance. He described the police handling as excellent given the challenging circumstances.
It was a tense situation because the large crowd wasn't familiar with the cause for the clearing of the area, Mr Papalia explained. It was handled very well in my view. There has been some very ill-informed commentary from peripheral political players, they don't know what they're talking about, and they should be more responsible.
The Minister acknowledged that initial confusion was understandable when people were asked to move on without immediate explanation, but he emphasised that police conducted the evacuation really professionally and respectfully.
Potential Terrorism Investigation Underway
In a significant development, Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation have confirmed they are investigating the incident as a potential terrorist act. This classification requires authorities to establish whether the alleged attack was motivated by political, religious, or ideological causes.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch addressed this aspect on Tuesday, noting that authorities were working collaboratively to determine what motivated the alleged attack and whether it met the criteria for terrorism.
Changed Security Landscape in Australia
Mr Papalia also highlighted how Australia's security environment has fundamentally shifted following the Bondi massacre in December last year. He warned that the threat of mass casualty events won't go away and that authorities must now assume potential threats to all mass gatherings.
Australia changed on December the 14th last year, we had a horrific event, and mass terrorist acts, mass deaths was something that won't go away, the Minister stated. The threat will ebb and flow with respect to risk, but we've got to at all times now assume that there is potentially a threat to mass gatherings.
He concluded by praising security authorities for their ongoing monitoring and risk analysis, noting that they would adjust protective measures as necessary based on evolving threat assessments.
