Last month's attack on a peaceful rally marking January 26 will be charged as a terrorist incident, the Western Australia premier has confirmed.
A 31-year-old man allegedly tossed a glass homemade device, containing volatile liquids and shrapnel, into the Invasion Day rally from a neighbouring balcony.
He fled the scene but was quickly apprehended by police.
Indigenous Australians minister Malarndirri McCarthy said Australians had a right to be safe from "violence and bigotry".
"I just want to say, I know the First Nations community here in Perth and right across Australia are hurting," the Yanyuwa woman said.
"They are feeling scared and angry, and I’ve certainly been in contact with the Noongar communities since January 26.
"I want to thank Noongar communities who reached out to help, as a result of what happened ... It is the basic value of human kindness, looking after one another, taking care of one another."
Already charged with two offences, the man, whose identify has been suppressed out of concerns for his safety, has now also been charged with a terrorism offence.
WA Police commissioner Col Blanch confirmed it was the first such charge in the state's history.
Appearing at a press conference on Thursday, Premier Roger Cook said he understood the "angst" in Boorloo Perth's First Nations community.
"It is deeply felt by our Indigenous communities. I know there is anger, we have every right to be angry.
"Any attack on our First Nations people is an attack on all of us. This is not what it means to be Australian."
The premier said he would be meeting with Perth's Aboriginal community later today.
"We must condemn this act in the strongest possible terms," he said.
"We must call it for what it is. I can confirm today, [authorities] have determined last Monday should be charged as a terrorist act.
"Last Monday a man allegedly threw a home made bomb to people peacefully protesting in Perth city.
"Thankfully it didn’t detonate [as] we could’ve seen a mass casualty [incident].
"This charge, which has been laid by the WA Joint Counter Terrorism Team (WAJCTT), alleges the attack on Aboriginal people and other peaceful protestors was motivated by hateful, racist ideology."
'It is what we've been saying'
In parliament on Thursday, the prime minister Anthony Albanese said he recognised First Nations Australians were grappling with the significance of the alleged attack.
"As a government, as a parliament, as a nation, we see you, we stand with you," he told the House of Representatives.
"We will do everything required to keep you and your loved ones safe.
"This alleged act of terrorism was deliberately aimed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
"This was alleged terrorism driven by racism and hatred.
"The device did not detonate but that does not change the fact that this attack was real. The consequences could have horrific."
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley also condemned the attack.
However, in response to Thursday's declaration, Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe repeated criticisms she made of the government and media last week.
"It is what we've been saying it was all along," she told a press conference.
"Everyone went into hiding [in the wake of the event] ... the media, the prime minister, tried to minimise the extreme, violent attack on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on the 26 of January.
"We've been warning of the rise of hate against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."
Senator Thorpe criticised the delay of state authorities in immediately determining the incident a terrorist act alleging that attacks against First Nations communities are not taken as seriously as others.
The WAJCTT, including WA Police, Australian Federal Police and ASIO, defended themselves on Thursday, saying proper processes needed to be followed and that the announcement had come relatively quickly.
In a joint statement, Home Affairs minister Tony Bourke, Minister McCarthy and member for Perth Patrick Gorman said the WA JCTT had been engaged "within 40 minutes" of the alleged bomb being thrown.
"This meant the right people, with the right experience, were engaged from the very start of the investigation," they 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.
"Our message to the First Nations community in Perth and all those affected is we stand with you."
They encouraged anyone with information about suspected extremist activity to contact authorities.
